Happiness in Later Life

It's a sad fact that many older people report low levels of happiness in later life. At Bluebird Care Wandsworth, we want our customers to lead happy, fulfilling lives, so here's our guide to staying positive in older age.

Later life should be a time when you get to relax and enjoy yourself. Most people have spent their lives working hard, raising families and looking forward to their retirement. Unfortunately, many older people in the UK aren’t feeling as content in later life as they thought they would. In fact, the AgeUK Wellbeing Index shows that over 50% of people over the age of 60 are experiencing a low level of wellbeing. Common factors that affect the happiness of older people include poor health, low income, bereavement and social isolation.

Finding ways to support people to live happier, more fulfilling lives is at the core of what we do here at Bluebird Care Wandsworth. We know what makes our customers smile, so here are a few things that we know can help improve wellbeing in later life.
 

Positive Strategies to Improve Wellbeing

1. Keep moving – physical activity is really important for both our physical and mental health. Even if you have mobility problems, there’s usually an activity that can be scaled back or adapted so that you can still take part. Moving your body helps keep bones and muscles strong, improves mood and can help manage pain too.
2. Be sociable – social contact is a basic human need. Try and keep in regular contact with friends and relatives, either in person or by phone or the internet, if they live far away. If you don’t have much of a social network, why not join a local club or volunteer for an organisation close to your heart? You’ll meet lots of new people and have the chance to make a few good friends along the way.
3. Do the things you love – creative hobbies, dance classes, reading, going to the cinema, golf; whatever it is that puts the sparkle into your life. If you can’t manage the hobbies you used to love, why not consider taking up a new one? It’s never too late!
4. Cheerful habits – dunking your favourite biscuits in a nice hot cup of tea; sitting in the window to watch the sunset; tuning in to your favourite TV programme. Making a habit of doing even the smallest things that cheer you up can make the world of difference to how you feel.
5. Eat well – a little bit of what you fancy is always nice but eating a generally healthy diet can really help to improve not only your physical health but your mood too.
6. Listen to music – it’s well known that music is widely used as an effective therapy. It has an amazing capacity to bring back fond memories and make us feel great. A good singalong and a bit of a dance can make the experience even better!
7. Positive outlook – having a positive outlook can be hard when you’re facing challenges in life. But trying to think about and appreciate the good things in your life can have a surprising effect on your wellbeing - studies have shown that it is actually possible to ‘think yourself happy’.
8. Ask for help – if you’re struggling with day to day life, asking for help is one of the best things you can do. None of us can manage everything by ourselves, so there’s no shame in reaching out for the support you need.

 

Improving Your Quality of Life

When you’re feeling down, finding creative ways to improve your wellbeing can seem difficult at first, but small steps can make a huge difference. At Bluebird Care Wandsworth, we’re always happy to help people who might be struggling to cope on their own at home. Our home care services are designed to support you in whatever ways you need.

We don’t just provide the practical care. We go the extra mile to give you genuine companionship and the support to need to enjoy all the fun things in life!

To ask us more about our home care or live in care services, give our friendly team a call on 020 8877 4950 or get in touch online. We’re here to listen.