Having a social life as a senior citizen can often be difficult as many seniors lose friends to death or illness and have family members that have moved away. We at Carefect Home Care Services understand the importance of having an active social life as a senior and would like to share some tips for how to build your social life as you age.

Hobbies

The easiest way to build your social life is by getting involved in activities that you used to enjoy or take up a new hobby. If you have always wanted to take a pottery or painting class, now is the perfect time to try it out. Many seniors who have retired use their time to pursue hobbies that they did not have time for when they were working full time. Seniors can look online for classes in their area and sign up for them. If there is a senior center near your home, you can check to see what activities they have. It is possible to meet seniors or other people close to your age at local classes, but it is even easier to meet other seniors at senior center events. Local art type classes are usually relatively inexpensive and can be a one afternoon class or an ongoing class if you are working on something more complex. Many seniors enjoy taking up new hobbies because it gives them the opportunity to learn new skills.

Organizing Events

If you already have a few good friends that you get together with you can try asking them about their other friends and seeing if they would be interested in organizing an event with them so that you could meet more people. Getting to know the friends of your friends is an easy way to meet new people. You can host a game night like bingo or poker and have everyone come over for a fun evening. Another option is hosting a book club. You can invite friends or post something at your local library for people to see. If you do not mind having new people over, this is an easy way to meet people with your interests.

Fitness

Seniors that are interested in fitness can consider joining a gym. If you have met some new people at the senior center you can ask them to accompany you to the gym so that you have another senior to work out with. Working out with people your own age can help you stay motivated during your workout. A lot of areas have gyms for seniors or have fitness classes for seniors, so if you cannot find a work out buddy on your own you can try to meet new people there. Once you have an established workout buddy you can set up a regular schedule to meet at the gym, like once or twice a week.

Charity

Many seniors enjoy using their free time to contribute to charity. You can find a local organization that interests you and help volunteer with them. There is usually a wide age range of people volunteering, so you may or may not meet people your own age. Even if the other volunteers are not your age, you can enjoy meeting new people while helping out for a good cause.

Going Out

If you still have a large group of friends, you can ask them to start going out places with you. Many seniors feel like they do not have enough to do with their time since retiring, so chances are your friends will be glad to accompany you places. Seniors can consider taking trips with other people their age and enjoy visiting new places and getting a nice change of scenery for a while. Another option is asking a friend to meet you for lunch one day a week or once a month just so you can get out of the house for a little while and chat with someone. If your family members live close by you can ask them to spend time with you on a regular basis. Seniors can find activities that they can enjoy with their children like going shopping, getting your nails done together, or going fishing for men. Setting up a regular schedule to see your family is a great way to stay connected with them as they grow up and have families of their own.

Seniors should keep in mind that there are a variety of things for them to do in their community to stay busy during retirement. If you have lost your spouse or friends because of death or illness, there are plenty of other seniors in your area who are going through the same thing and would enjoy making some new friends. Be sure to look for local events on a regular basis so you can keep up with what is going on in your community and stay involved.