The Benefits of Socializing While Coping With Dementia
Humans are social creatures – even the most introverted of us and those who prefer their own company feel the benefit of socialising now and again. The benefits of interaction with others are essential for people with serious illnesses — which is one of the reasons why isolation after illness is frowned upon. The benefits of social interaction help people cope with neurological illnesses, such as various strands of Dementia.
At Hands On Care, we are well aware of the benefits that socialising with dementia can bring to the person suffering from the illness. It’s because of these benefits that we continually make efforts to encourage our clients to socialise throughout the span of their illness. In this short blog article, we will discuss the benefits of socialising in relation to dementia.
Socialising Gives Our Patients a Sense of Community
It’s often been said that it takes a village to raise a child. This is no different when it comes to caring. A social support network — one that includes professionals, family members, and friends — is vital to maintaining one’s mental health and instilling a sense of community in people. We’ve found this to be particularly true in relation to people coping with dementia.
Patients with wider social networks, one that includes family, friends and professional caregivers, often find themselves better adjusted during the initial and later stages of the illness. They feel as though they are better looked after and any sudden change in the patient’s behaviour is noticed sooner.
Socialising Fights loneliness
As well as the sense of community our clients gain is the relief from the loneliness that a wider social network brings. Whilst loneliness is common, particularly amongst the elderly and people dealing with serious illnesses, a wide social network can help to fight against the feeling of loneliness and improve the quality of life of our patients. A patient who doesn’t have to deal with loneliness is one who can concentrate on their own recovery.
Reduces Anxiety and Depression
Another benefit of socialising for people dealing with dementia is the same benefit that it has for everyone else: reducing anxiety and depression.
The reduction of anxiety and depression for our patients improves their quality of life massively and means that they can spend their time happily, among friends and family, without the additional stress draining them. In turn, this leads to a healthier and higher functioning brain — which will only improve our patients’ quality of life.
Improves Brain Health
Stepping away from the mental health benefits of socialising, it’s important to recognise the physical health advantages that socialisation has in relation to the brain.
Numerous studies have shown that a wider social network can help to improve general brain health. Talking through issues, as opposed to keeping them to ourselves, can help us to deal with issues and process them in a healthy way. In turn, this leads to a reduction of physical stress and exertion on the brain, which leads to lower function. This process of social discussion allows you to practice your decision–making skills, judgement, physical senses, and ability to understand other people’s emotions — all of which help to keep you independent during your illness.
How Hands on Care Can Help
At Hands On Care, we believe in making our patients’ experiences as positive as possible — it’s our driving goal. It’s because of that goal, as well as the benefits explained above, that we encourage our patients to socialise as much as possible.
For more information about our services and how we help our clients with socialising throughout the length of their illness, get in touch with us today. Our team of carers and administrators will be able to help you with any enquiries.