In Sarah McKay's article, Why Friendship is Great for Your Brain a Neuroscientist Explains, Sarah references a term Cognitive Reserve which is our ability to resist cognitive decline. Well documented by sources like National Institute on Aging, depression is NOT a normal part of aging. It just doesn't make sense to think because we age the direct effect is depression. Sadly though, it is a very common problem among older adults.
The National Institute of Health states that 'studies show that older adults feel satisfied with their lives despite having more illness or physical problems.' Depression is the sadness and anxiety of changes like death of a loved one, change in work status, or dealing with serious illness and not being able to get out of that state of emotional trauma. One of the therapies for depression is 'Talk Therapy' where 'the patient' is put into situations that help refocus the thought process away from the negative thoughts they have such trouble separating from. On a more extreme measure, and even more alarmingly, age 65 and older Americans make up roughly 18% of the suicides in our country according to the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. An article on NPR.org further states that according to the US Census Bureau in 2015 there were 47.8 million people over the age of 65 in our country. That number is expected to jump to over 98.2 million, almost double in just 45 years. Sadly simple math would similarly and unnecessarily increase the number of suicides.
47.8 million is a lot of potential friends and fellowship for retired adults. CCRH® was created to provide safe and convenient opportunities for care and community for our 'Residents' choosing to retire from the comfort of their own homes. As we continue to learn more about COVID and find a way back to community activity, CCRH® is here to help keep our 'Residents' connected with those fellowship opportunities. If you're looking for those opportunities yourself, please reach out through the website by CLICKING HERE to let us know how best to serve you by filling out the feedback section at the bottom of the page. We’re thankful you’ve chosen to find community and care here through CCRH.net®
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