Staying socially connected as you age
Social connection is as important to healthy ageing as diet and exercise. Ideas for keeping relationships strong, whatever your mobility or circumstances.
By National Choice Care Team · Published
Staying connected to other people is one of the strongest predictors of wellbeing in later life. Yet retirement, bereavement, reduced mobility and family moving away can all shrink a social circle without anyone intending it. The good news is that connection is a habit that can be rebuilt at any age.
Start with what you already enjoy
The easiest social activities to sustain are the ones built around something you would do anyway — gardening, walking, craft, cards, faith, food or football. Look for a local group that shares the interest rather than forcing yourself into activities that do not appeal.
Ideas to try
- Community centres and libraries, which often run free or low-cost social programs
- Volunteering, even an hour or two a week, which gives contact a purpose
- Regular standing arrangements, like a weekly coffee, which are easier to keep than one-off plans
- Video calls with family, set up as a recurring time so nobody has to organise each one
- Intergenerational programs that link older adults with schools or playgroups
When getting out is the barrier
If transport or mobility makes leaving home hard, connection can still come to you: phone befriending services, online groups, visiting volunteers and support workers who accompany you to outings. Some home-care programs can fund social support and transport — check the latest government guidance or ask your provider what your funding covers.
Look out for each other
If you notice a neighbour, friend or relative withdrawing, a small gesture — a knock on the door, an invitation, a lift to an event — can matter far more than it seems. Loneliness usually eases through many small contacts rather than one big change.