Barbara Fradkin – Hometown News

Can you suggest a place where I can go and be with other seniors?

As we get older, it is really important to maintain some sort of social engagement. Seniors, for a variety of reasons, can be more susceptible to social isolation than younger people. It’s nice to sit with others, have a cup of coffee, and play cards and other games.  A healthy dose of fun and games benefits your mental and physical health, too!

You already know that mental stimulation helps keep you sharp. An active social life can actually help prevent depression– as well as Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. During friendly games and conversation, you gain knowledge and skills!  If you are willing to try new things, then making new senior friends and staying socially active is easy.

So where can you go to meet others and learn new things?  Check out the local senior centers! Central Florida has a large number of senior centers with oodles of activities for seniors.  Some even have a ‘Seniors at Lunch’ program where a nominal fee gets you lunch and some kind of program.

You can also explore senior social groups.  At One Senior Place, “The Club” for active seniors meets weekly.  This is a very social group and people get together to play cards, mahjong, dominos and a variety of other enjoyable games. You can bring a neighbor, come have a cup of coffee, meet the group and check out your favorite games.

You probably already know that One Senior Place maintains a full monthly calendar of educational (and fun) presentations you can attend at no charge.  Join the Book Club, learn about Medicare insurance, hear what the Elder Law Attorneys say about estate planning and find out how to stay safe at home with additional care. Call me for a free consultation at 321-751-6771 and let’s figure out how to keep you busy and active. We’ll see you at One Senior Place!

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One Senior Place is a marketplace for resources and provider of information, advice, care and on-site services for seniors and their families. Questions for this column are answered by professionals in nursing, social work, care management and in-home care. Send questions to askOSP@OneSeniorPlace.com or visit One Senior Place, The Experts in Aging at OneSeniorPlace.com. Barbara Fradkin is a Social Worker, Certified Care Manager and the Director of One Senior Place, Viera.