CONNECTION
It’s just as important to exercise our mind as it is our body. The less we use our brain, the more likely we are to develop memory loss, depression and other physical and psychological ailments. Human connection is crucial for our mental health and well-being. Lack of mental stimulation and social interaction have been scientifically proven as one of the leading causes of depression, anxiety and Alzheimer’s disease.
There was a report, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, it’s meta – analysis of 23 previous studies that followed nearly 50,000 older adults over a medium of five years. The researchers found that depressed older adults (defined as those over age 50) were more than twice as likely to develop vascular dementia and 65 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Why is that? Think of how you felt during COVID when you were in isolation from the world and maybe you lived alone or with family, but either way, you were limited with your interactions, your ability to go outside and do things and that is why the pandemic effected so many individuals of all ages, leading to an increase in mental health diagnoses of anxiety and depression, as well as a reported amount of increase in mental health services.
Now, think of those elders who either live alone or with someone, but they do not have the same mobility or capabilities that they once had and maybe they are unable to drive. Think of the loneliness they must feel, lack of mental stimulation and so isolated from the world, stuck within their home.
Our services will find youth that are willing to volunteer their time or possibly in the future our goal is to have a relationship with a University that allows students to receive credits for internship hours, spending time with elders and giving them a purpose, while in return, the youth are gaining knowledge and wisdom by being linked with a like minded elder. It ultimately is providing everyone with a purpose!
For example:
A retired lawyer with a law student or someone who is interested in learning about the law
An artist with a younger artist
A person who served in the war and knows much of history with a youth who is passionate to learn more about history
A person who loves to read and discuss books with the youth who has the same interest in genre