Friendships in Retirement

Retirement can be an exciting time in our lives. Often the culmination of years of hard work, many people look forward to these years as a time to relax and enjoy life.  With all of the exciting things this chapter of our lives brings, one particular challenge that many experience is maintaining friendships. From making new friends, to keeping current ones, friendships are a vital component at any life stage, and provide numerous benefits, especially during our golden years. In fact, some may say that friendships are more important for seniors than in any other age group! A recent study by University of Michigan professor William J. Chopik proposed that friendships maintained later in life play a larger role in one’s health and well-being than in any other age group.

We appreciate this, and that is one of the great parts of calling Preston Pointe home! Not only are there many opportunities to socialize and make friends, but there are always new and exciting activities happening! Here you have the opportunity to learn new hobbies, share your hobbies with your friends, or even join a club! Our Activities Director Jennifer is always open to suggestions for other fun activities to add for our residents.

There are a ton of ways to make new friends at Preston Pointe! We’ve put together a short list of the most popular ways that our new residents find their best friends here, as well as how they stay in contact with those whom have shared a friendship throughout the years.

1. Do what you love! One of the most important aspects of retirement is being able to enjoy life and spend time on things that make us feel good. Think about the things you like to do that bring you the most joy, and actively work to make those things a bigger part of your everyday life. You will be surprised to find others to love the same activities as you do! Love gardening? We do too! You’d have no trouble finding other residents outside enjoying the outdoors and planting in their gardens. Are you a self-proclaimed Bridge expert? Crochet/knitting pro? You’ll find it all here, along with other residents that enjoy the same things that you do.
2. Use Social Media! It’s no secret that social media has become the most common way for people to communicate and stay in contact with one another. Social media makes it easy to keep in touch and see what is happening in each other’s lives, especially when you can no longer drive or get out as much as you used to
3.  Join in the Fun! We plan fun activities all throughout the day for our residents. Whether it be our fun fitness programs, to our weekly Bingo nights, and even our engaging trips around town, we work tirelessly to ensure that our residents have a variety of options for things to do throughout the day. Best of all, our activities are open to all residents, so you’ll have the opportunity to meet your new neighbors and have fun in the process.
4. Bring your friends! Maintaining friendships is just as important as making new ones. That’s why our doors are always open for your friends to come and enjoy your new retirement lifestyle with you. We never have visiting hours, giving your friends the freedom to come and enjoy the spoils of all that Preston Pointe has to offer. We even offer private dining rooms for you and your guests to relax and enjoy a meal together.

To learn more about the study on the importance of friendship:
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2017/are-friends-better-for-us-than-family/