Thought Back on Track
5 WAYS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS IN RETIREMENT Don’t Spend Another Year Lonely!
Friendship just might be the fourth secret to longevity, right behind eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, making friends can reduce stress, improve your self-confidence, and give you purpose in life! People with good friends are also more likely to exercise and less likely to drink to excess. But making friends is tough, especially in your golden years. To finally kick loneliness to the curb in 2022, try these five tips. 1. GET A DOG. Adopting a dog (assuming you truly want one) will incentivize you to leave the house for walks, vet visits, and more. You’ll likely attract new friends in the neighborhood when they stop to pet your pup, and you can also meet people at the dog park or obedience classes. If nothing else, you’ll have your dogs in common! 2. JOIN A HOBBY GROUP. The easiest way to find friends with similar interests is to pursue those interests. If you like to quilt, join a quilting group, and if you kayak, look for an outdoors club near you. Facebook is a great resource for finding online hobby groups, too! Just type your interest into the search bar and select “Groups” on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. VOLUNTEER. Volunteering has similar benefits to joining a hobby group with the added benefit of giving back to the community! There’s likely a cause for whatever you’re interested in, whether
that’s food, animals, or sports. Visit VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities in your area sorted by organization type.
4. MOVE TO A 55-PLUS COMMUNITY. Also called retirement communities or active adult communities, these neighborhoods are known for their low-maintenance housing, amenities, and group activity options — and they’re all over the U.S. If you want to find friends in your age group to swim and play tennis with, a local real estate agent can help you find them. 5. BECOME A MENTOR. Mentorship is a valuable way to form friendships across generations. You can sign up for an existing program in the field you retired from or reach out to a local college or high school career center and offer your services. They’ll likely have graduates who’d love to meet you!
Information You Need At the Education Center at Van Dyck Law, we provide people with resources and information related to services and support regarding dementia, estate planning, and healthy aging. We have some valuable and informative events planned for the next few months that will be beneficial to you and your family.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE EDUCATION CENTER
COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVING When: Wednesday, Feb. 9
How do we put compassion first in caregiving? Join us as we sift through the challenges and obstacles while putting compassion and empathy at the center of our focus when caring for a loved one. MANAGING CHALLENGING EXPRESSIONS — THE INNATE EMOTIONS OF THOSE WITH DEMENTIA When: Wednesday, March 9 There are reasons behind the negative expressions sometimes conveyed by those with dementia. Learn to understand why your loved one acts out and what you can do to turn the negatives into positives making every day more enjoyable for you and your loved one.
All programs take place at the Education Center at Van Dyck Law (located at 707 State Road, Suite 102, in Princeton) from 10–11 a.m. These events are open to all members of the community, clients, and professionals unless otherwise noted.
NEW YEAR, NEW STRATEGIES TO CAREGIVING When: Wednesday, Jan. 12 Are you a caregiver struggling to manage caring for your aging loved one? There are
BECOME A CERTIFIED DEMENTIA PRACTITIONER! When: Wednesday, March 16, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
many new and effective strategies that can make
This seminar is required for health care workers who want to obtain their Certified Dementia Practitioner Designation. Attendance will count as CE hours for social workers, certified case managers, nurses, CALA, LNHA, and ADC. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Reach out to our director of life care resources at Sheli@vandyckfirm.com for more information.
caregiving easier for everyone involved. Join us for a morning of learning new strategies to balance it all in the new year.
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