by CHritz 7. October 2010
Most of us know that having good friends can help enrich our daily lives, but according to a recent study, close friends may do more than provide companionship—it can actually add years to your life. The study, which appeared in the journal PLoS Medicine, found that social relationships—friends, family, neighbors or colleagues—improve our odds of survival by 50 percent. Having low social interactions even compared to the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day and being more harmful than not exercising. The researchers analyzed 148 studies that examined the effects of social relationships and death risks among 308,849 people for an average of 7.5 years.
The study also found that people with strong relationships may even live an average of four years longer. The challenge according to the authors of the research was to put this information into good use, who noted that in an era of technology, the quality of relationships is decreasing. At Interim HealthCare we understand how important companionship is and how important it is to have someone there to share your thoughts with.
We provide a HomeLife EnrichmentSM program where we focus on the qualities of living an enriched life with one-on-one companionship that eliminates social isolation through several activities such as conversation, brain fitness, life reviews and arts and crafts to name a few. Our Care Professionals are people with a kind heart who understand the special needs of seniors. Click here to learn more about our personal care & support services.
