As we age, it can be difficult to maintain the relationships we had when we were younger. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy new ways to make and maintain exciting new friendships, especially with so many awesome opportunities to be active in the community!

The best aged care in Wollongong will always help elderly residents participate and stay active in the community, especially with these uber fun opportunities awaiting their patronage!

Join a sports team

Australia is a sports-mad nation, and so it should come as no surprise that there are endless opportunities for like-minded seniors to participate in an awesome team sport. There are the obvious candidates like lawn bowls and golf, as well as healthy, mindful endeavours like swimming, tai chi and yoga.

Sports are obviously one of the best ways for the elderly to stay fit in both body and mind. What’s more, it’s one of the best opportunities for them to stay active in their community, rekindling old friendships or making new ones is all part of the fun of joining a seniors sporting group!

Speaking of swimming

The Wollongong Whales is the town’s first winter swimming club, and winter swimming is something that continues to grow in popularity for people both young and old. Winter swimming provides benefits like improved immune system, improved mental health, calorie burning, stress reduction and acclimatisation (all positives for people as they enter and continue through their senior years!).

It can seem a bit daunting at first, but once you get used to jumping into that chilly water, you will find that these positive benefits are becoming part of your system, not to mention it being another great way to participate in the community and make new friends!

Join a hobby group

What will be your new-found hobby? Art? Crafts? Music? With so many groups offering so many different opportunities to learn a fun new skill, why not have a chat with your senior friend, family member, participant etc. and see what sparks their interest?

With everything from art to cooking classes and even language learning groups, it’s a great way to activate the mind whilst making a bunch of new like-minded friends!

Volunteering

Because who doesn’t love meeting some awesome elderly residents at their local op shop? Volunteering, whether it be at the oppy, the animal shelter, the food drive etc. is one of the best ways for seniors to meet other seniors whilst partaking in an activity that is meaningful and exists to help others.

What’s more, volunteering is something that can also be of interest to the senior as if it were another hobby, because what could be more enjoyable than caring for a bunch of cute little kittens who are in need of some love and affection?

Encourage them to stay connected with loved ones

Because staying connected with our loved ones is dearly important as we get older, and it should be encouraged! So, if you would like to encourage your participant or loved one to connect with friends and family, be it through a regular catch up in person or by phone, this is one of the best ways to maintain their self-esteem as they age.

Because, after all, we can all use some much-needed love and human connection at the best of times, and this is (obviously!) one of the best ways to do so – sharing special moments with the elderly people we cherish.