A Study Has Found That Spending Time With Your Mom & Dad As They Get Older Will Help Them Live Longer
It's important to keep the people in your life that you love close, even as you grow older. In an interview with The New York Times, Barbara Moscowitz, the senior geriatric social worker of Massachusetts General Hospital, said that "the need we've had our entire lives — people who know us, value us, who bring us joy — that never goes away."
Experts have now come to the conclusion that not only does that need never go away, but for older people, loneliness can have a direct impact on how long they live.
Loneliness Can Lead To An Earlier Death Or A Faster Decline In Health
After a study was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, researchers have determined that loneliness or a lack of companionship does have a negative impact on the health of elderly people and can lead to an earlier death or a quicker decline in mental and physical capabilities.
Participants Of The Study Were Asked Three Main Questions
Researchers at the University of California studied 1604 seniors, and the average age of those studied was 71, with 59% of participants being women. Over the span of the study participants were repeatedly asked if they felt like they were 1: left out, 2: isolated, and 3: like they lacked companionship.
Researchers Took Factors Like Ethnicity & Medical Conditions Into Consideration
The study took factors like ethnicity, socioeconomic status, living situation, as well as preexisting medical conditions into consideration when determining if loneliness has a direct influence on the longevity of life. The conclusion of the study was that in participants who were over 60, those who felt lonely were likely to die sooner.
Make Sure You Call Your Mom Back
Basically, what this means is you no longer have a reason to not call your dad back or to not go visit your mother on her birthday. As humans, we have a desire for companionship and a desire to connect with others, and it becomes even more important as generations age. If you want your parents to be in your life for as long as possible, spend as much time with them as you can.
