Scientists often encourage us with amazing and important discoveries. Study from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that elderly people who have companionship and feel less lonely live longer.
The next time you invite your grandparents and other older relatives over, you may be considered a life saver.
Over 6 years of research, only 14% of elderly people constantly visited by their relatives have died, compared to 23% of the participants without family visitors.
Joinfo.com shares the results of this investigation for you to understand why our loved ones need our attention so much.
The study “Loneliness in Older Persons” followed 1,600 adults who had an average age of 71 years. Approximately 23 percent of participants who said they were lonely died within six years of the study. When it came to participants who said they had adequate companionship, only 14 percent of them died within six years of the study.
When it comes to quality of life in old age, having friends, family and other connections is a must.
“The need we’ve had our entire lives – people who know us, value us, who bring us joy – that never goes away,” Barbara Moscowitz, senior geriatric social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In general, older people are more tolerant to the drawbacks of their friends and relatives. They’re always ready to share their experience and wisdom with young people, as well as tell what things are really worth our emotions and effort and which aren’t.
Younger family members benefit from spending time with their elders too, learning family history and secret recipes, among other things.
The research, then, is clear: Spend more time with your elders. It’s beneficial for everyone.