Who doesn’t like to hang out with their grandparents! You are fed till you burst and pampered in exactly the same way as when you were six years old. They would actually appreciate if you just spend the whole day just talking to them, about anything.
Listening to fairy tales and stories from your grandma will never be a bore. And if all of these handy perks were not enough to nudge you towards visiting your grandparents more, there is no proof that spending more time with your elderly relatives would help to increase their life expectancy, as well as the quality of life.
The research was conducted where more than 1600 adults were observed over a period of time. The average age of this group was 71 years. Out of this group, those who had constant companionship over the course of their adult life were found to be much happier and healthier than those who didn’t.
Furthermore, the latter group’s mortality rate was much higher. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because loneliness can get to even the most hale and hearty of the young people.
In this regard, old age homes are really a blessing for the elderly. This is because not only are they getting companionship, they get the feeling of being in a college dorm. Surrounded by their peers and indulging in the same amount of gossip and activities as they would have enjoyed in their college days.
It is common knowledge that the older you get, the tougher it gets to meet new people and make friends. And for the senior citizens, the challenge is even much more difficult. And unfortunately, they are the ones who need companionship the most. So when their immediate family is not available to give them this much-needed company, friends formed at these establishments seem nothing less than a blessing sent from above.
But really, that is just an alternate option. The best way to help your grandparents would be to spend more and more time with them. This would not just be beneficial for their health, but the younger generation would also be much wiser for having spent time with the worldly wise.
There are some things which you just can’t learn from books and TV shows. So go and try to learn as much as you can from your grandparents and brighten up their day as well.
