Seniors definitely need to engage in regular physical activity and eat a healthy diet, but it’s also important to live a life with purpose in the golden years. Studies show seniors who live with a sense of purpose enjoy numerous physical and emotional benefits that lead to longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Reduced Risk of Illness
Scientists have found that when an individual strives to live with purpose, a biological process is activated within the body that boosts immune function. By striving to live purposeful lives after retirement, seniors are better able to fend off illness and are also less likely to experience heart attacks, strokes, and other stress-related conditions.
Some seniors need help making lifestyle choices that boost their health and wellbeing. If your aging loved one needs help managing everyday tasks or encouragement to adopt healthier lifestyle choices, turn to Assisting Hands Home Care, a leading provider of homecare services. Assisting Hands Home Care provides professional in-home caregivers around the clock to help seniors live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
Cognitive Preservation
Seniors who live with a sense of purpose have also been found to be 2.4 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Plaques and tangles, the protein deposits responsible for damaging the brain when an individual has Alzheimer’s, are much less common in the brains of those who feel they have purpose in life.
Greater Motivation
Older adults who live purposefully also tend to gravitate toward healthier activities because they want to remain healthy enough to retain their independence and maintain their regular routines. Purpose in this situation provides seniors with the motivation and energy needed to practice healthy habits. As overall health increases, so does life expectancy.
Living independently is important for seniors who want to maintain a high quality of life. For some, this simply means receiving help with tasks that have become more challenging to manage over time. Even when families have the best intentions, they may not have the time to provide the care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. If your loved one needs help for a few hours a day or a few days a week, reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care, a trusted provider of respite care Henrico seniors can depend on.
Enhanced Confidence
When seniors are able to make meaningful contributions to friends, family members, or the community, they’re able to feel a sense of purpose that allows them to enjoy higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, which experts say are necessary to enjoy a long and healthy life as well as greater independence. Finding purpose later in life doesn’t mean seniors must radically change their daily activities. Starting a new hobby, volunteering in the community, making an effort to connect with friends and family on a regular basis, and caring for a pet are just a few of the many ways seniors can enjoy a heightened sense of purpose in their everyday lives.
Maintaining a sense of purpose is just one of the many ways older adults can lead healthy lives. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional senior care. Richmond, Virginia, Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life. Call us today to learn about our comprehensive in-home care plans.
