How Can Spending Time with Grandchildren Help Seniors

The relationships and bonds between grandparents and grandchildren are beautiful things. Those who are lucky enough to experience them are truly blessed. From the grandparent's standpoint, it's one of the greatest gifts in the world to see what came from the kids you raised. From the grandchild's point of view, seeing the parents of their parents and hearing old stories are some of the coolest experiences. There are countless benefits of grandparents spending time with their grandchildren; some of these include:

Staying Young

Being around younger people keeps you young by staying in the loop of recent trends, current events, and being out and about more frequently. Therefore, spending time with grandchildren gives you an insight into the current world and forces you to get exercise by going to sporting events, school events, or doing a fun activity.

Decreasing Chances of Depression

Developing a good relationship with grandchildren has been scientifically proven to decrease stress, anxiety, and chances of depression. It causes happiness that can't be found in many other things. This is not only true for grandparents but grandchildren as well. A healthy grandparent/grandchild relationship can be a significant positive mental health factor.

Staying Mentally Sharp

Spending time with younger kids can have significant neurological benefits for older adults. Kids usually have a lot of energy and require a lot of attention. This is great for seniors as it keeps cognition sharp while keeping up with the younger generation. Kids also frequently want to play games with grandparents, which keeps brain function working and growing.

Strengthening Memory Skills

One of the most common things kids tend to do while around grandparents is asking about old stories and memories. This is great for older adults because it causes the brain to work and return to old connections that occurred long ago. Frequently retrieving information from our internal memory bank can possibly increase memory and prevent things like dementia.

At Evergreen Place in Champaign, we highly encourage family visits. We understand and value the importance of grandparent/grandchild relationships. We also encourage residents' families to get their loved ones out and about and be able to experience events that family members are a part of. If you're interested in our community or services, don't hesitate to give us a call and schedule a tour today!