As the years go on, our circle of close friends gets smaller and smaller—companions die, move away, or grow ill. It also becomes harder to make new acquaintances, but the capacity to still find warmth in new friendships has true value. Finding someone who understands you and you can put your trust into can be a light in a dark time. As we evolve, we begin to prioritize our friendships—a theory called “socioemotional selectivity.” This theory likens that as people sense they have less time in life, they eliminate superficial relationships to concentrate on those they find meaningful. Perhaps, this is due to the serious toll that isolation and loneliness can take on elders. Studies show that loneliness is associated with higher blood pressure, nursing home admissions, risky health behaviors, and dementia. Elders can also bring wisdom into their late-life friendships, allowing them to be tolerant of imperfections. Ultimately, there is strong evidence to support the idea of friendship saving lives and promoting health.
See Paula Span, Loneliness Can be Deadly for Elders; Friends Are the Antidote, N.Y. Times, December 30, 2016.
