Whether in youth or seniority, people find their fulfillment in living a life of
service. Humans have a deep rooted need to connect with one another and support
each other. According to several studies, it looks like serving others is not just an
emotionally or spiritually rewarding activity, but also one with very real physical
benefits.
A study of older couples by the Association for Psychological Science found
that mortality was significantly reduced for individuals who provided more social
support to their friends, neighbors, relatives and significant others. Interestingly
enough, receiving social support had no effect on mortality rate once the amount of
social support given was taken into account for individuals. There’s a famous quote that says “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and this study seems to confirm that. The positive impacts that participants had were all tied to the amount that they supported others.
Let this be an encouragement to all of us to continue to support those around
us, living a service-centered life. Retirement can be an extremely fulfilling season of
life, but without a supportive community surrounding oneself it can become a very
isolating and depressive experience as well. We want each of our residents and their
families at The Cedars to participate in a supportive culture that lifts one another
up. You may live a longer and fuller life because of it!
Another paper by John Kelly of the University of Pennsylvania talks about a
landmark study where researchers measured levels of happiness with young adults.
What they found was that those who scored highest on the happiness scale had
“strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.”
Our takeaway from this study is that relationships are an invaluable contributor to
our residents’ wellbeing. Studies such as this one show how we are relational beings
who need each other to thrive.
We encourage all family and friends of our residents to make a commitment
to visit and support your loved ones at The Cedars. You play an invaluable role in
loving our Cedars’ community, brightening our days with your visits! We and our
residents hope to see you here on our beautiful campus soon.
