May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month. Two topics that may seem completely unrelated but share a lot in common. That makes this the perfect time to think about and understand mental wellness for older adults. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to consider the impact that social connection can have on older adults’ mental wellness.

The Ins and Outs of Mental Wellness

Mental wellness is an important aspect of mental health awareness. Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines it as “a state of well-being that enables us to cope with the stresses of life, realize our abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to our community.” Essentially, mental health is how someone responds to and interacts with the world around them. Like physical health, mental health is something that everyone has. However, also like with physical health, some people experience mental health conditions. This can include things like depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and more.

In comparison, Global Wellness Institute defines mental wellness as “an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function; it is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow, and flourish.” Mental health is how someone’s brain or body responds to things, while mental wellness is what they can do about it. In terms of physical health and wellness, physical health is how someone’s body functions and physical wellness is the things they do to keep their body well, like diet and exercise. Similarly, mental wellness can encompass everything someone can do to support their mental health.

Mental Health Warning Signs and Symptoms

When it comes to mental health, it’s important to recognize warning signs and symptoms. The same way that it’s important to recognize the signs of a stroke or heart attack, it’s important to recognize signs of things like anxiety and depression. Some of the signs may be expected, like sadness, anxiousness, or irritability. Others may be more of a surprise, like changes in sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, and physical pain. For older adults specifically, the signs are similar. Signs of depression in older adults can include decreased energy, moving more slowly, difficulty with memory, eating more or less, trouble sleeping or oversleeping, irritability or restlessness, and more.

How Older Adults Can Support Their Mental Wellness

At every age mental wellness is important. With a little planning, it’s possible for everyone to make supporting their mental wellness a priority. These are some of the ways that older adults specifically can support their mental wellness.

Social Connection

One of the best ways older adults can support their mental wellness is staying social. Loneliness and isolation are among the biggest risk factors of anxiety and depression for older adults. Staying connected with friends and loved ones can decrease the likelihood of developing anxiety and depression. Plus, being social can help improve someone’s mood which is a great benefit for mental wellness. Some of the ways an older adult can focus on social connection include calling a friend, writing a letter, making something for someone in need, connecting with a senior center, and enjoying entertainment.

The Outdoors

Some people think spending time outside is a treatment for mental health conditions. While this isn’t true, spending time outdoors is a great way to support mental wellness. Especially for older adults, fresh air and sunshine can go a long way towards supporting a good mood and positive mindset. Going for a walk outside, even just down the street or around the block, can positively impact mental wellness. If mobility or safety are a concern, or someone can’t get outside, even pulling back the curtains and opening a window can be a great way to take advantage of the fresh air and sun.

Senior Living and Mental Wellness

Senior living can get a bad rap. It’s not uncommon to think of it as a last resort or something that’s there if it’s ever needed. However, one of the many benefits of senior living for older adults is the way it supports mental wellness. This is primarily because of the way senior living promotes social connection. For a senior living resident, there are always things to do and people to talk to. Senior living can also encourage better physical wellness, such as eating better and being more active. Both of which can support positive mental wellness.

Stress can be one of the factors that impacts mental wellness. Older adults living alone in their home may find that they are experiencing negative stress trying to maintain their home and care for themselves while also spending a lot of time alone. Moving to senior living can reduce that stress. There are teams of people to handle things like maintenance, lawn care, housekeeping, and cooking. It removes an element of the stress and burden that can come from living alone. Plus, residents are able to spend as much time as they want around others while still spending time alone when they want.

Even when not living alone, living independently as an older adult can be stressful. There are many situations where one spouse becomes the caregiver of the other. It isn’t uncommon for this to become too significant a burden. A senior living community can offer the care that one spouse needs while offering support to the spouse who doesn’t need care. This is especially true of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), where one spouse may live in independent living while the other lives in memory care. The spouse in memory care receives the care they need while the spouse in independent living gets to let go of some of their caregiving role and be surrounded by a social support system in their neighbors and fellow residents.

Mental Wellness at The Ohio Masonic Communities

At The Ohio Masonic Communities, our campuses offer ample opportunities to support mental wellness for older adults. We have three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.