family and friends

Healthy aging is in big part due to the social connections we have with family and friends.  There are strong ties between maintaining a social network and mental and physical well-being.  As we age, we lose friends and family and it becomes more difficult to build new connections.  It is quite common for people to feel socially isolated and this can affect their health.  Families need to know that their loved ones need to interact and feel that they are important, that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.  Making the commitment and extending the extra effort to go on regular outings and spend time together can make all the difference in the world.  This is what we do and have done for our children, why is it so hard for us to do the same thing for our parents?