Stay connected-and we don’t just mean online! Research has shown that maintaining social engagement with people contributes to longer and healthier lives. A study conducted by Hebrew SeniorLife’s Institute for Aging Research showed survival rates among socially active long-term care residents were greater than they were for those who were not.

You can build your social network of friends and family by setting a goal of getting out of the house regularly.

Here are a few ideas I share with seniors about how they can make that happen:

• Join civic, social or other organizations.

• Get friends together and form a walking club or find one to join at a local mall.

• Visit your community’s senior center or council on aging.

• Join a multigenerational program in your community that works with local schools.

• Attend church or temple services and connect with other worshippers.

• Don’t forget to utilize senior transportation services available in your community.

• Volunteer your time to an organization you feel passionately about.

No matter how you seek out connections, the social ties you establish and nurture will have a lasting impact on your emotional and physical health now and down the road.

Tell us: how do you stay connected with family and friends?

Read about how residents stay active in our senior living communities.