Science has shown that human beings are inherently social creatures by nature.
By and large, we live and thrive amongst our “herd.” Having lunch with friends, going on a walk with a coworker during break time, or having a phone call with a family member are ways we keep social. As it turns out, this social connectedness is crucial to our long-term health.
This is social wellness. Many barriers exist that often keep people, especially older adults, from maintaining social wellness, but that is where efforts like the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Successfully Aging and Living in San Antonio (SALSA) initiative come into play.
“[Social wellness] is something we all need, but it’s hard to convince people to participate in and get out of their comfort zone and seek it out,” explained Sarah Davis, SALSA’s AmeriCorps VISTA Program Director.
Maintaining and building healthy relationships with others is essential to our emotional and mental health. The need to maintain social wellness only increases as we age. For older adults, this becomes particularly important to keep thriving.
“There’s so much work being done in the area of aging, but it’s usually around viewing aging as a decline or viewing aging as a problem that needs to be solved,” explained Pat Whitty, also with the SALSA AmeriCorps VISTA team.
San Antonio is fortunate to have many opportunities for older adults to build connections such as attending classes at OASIS or attending a City of San Antonio Senior Citizen center.
One way that SALSA has sought to promote social wellness among older adults they interact with is volunteering. Organizations across Bexar County are always seeking volunteers, and this activity often fosters a strong sense of purpose and value for those who participate. In short, giving back to one’s community can offer powerful benefits for everyone involved.
“I’m 82, so I know what I’m talking about,” Whitty shared. “The culture pushes us to the side, and we have to work kind of hard to appropriately bring ourselves back into it. So many older people withdraw as they get older. Relationships get fewer and fewer.”
With a keen eye towards encouraging volunteerism, SALSA utilizes their network of partners. One of the key partners they often refer to is Catholic Charities of San Antonio.
The organization offers three key opportunities for elders, including their “Adopt-A-Senior Program,” and the “Foster Grandparents” program, which provides older adults with one-on-one mentoring and tutoring opportunities at local schools. There is also the “RSVP program,” which empowers elders to put to use unique skills and experience to address a wide range of community needs.
“Everyone knows that saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’” noted Danny Mericle, Senior Director of Senior Services at Catholic Charities. “I think it also takes a village to support the wisest and most experienced among us. Sometimes we forget the value … there is wisdom and a wealth of knowledge from our older population.”
Thanks to his wisdom and experience, Whitty has a few bits of advice for those looking to ensure they maintain social wellness.
“I always recommend that the first step toward social wellness is to join something,” Whitty said. “Join a club, join a group, join a book discussion. Volunteer is the other. Nonprofit groups all over San Antonio are desperate for volunteers. People can form new relationships. They can find new purpose and new meaning. More importantly, they can feel useful again.”
SALSA also has numerous activities in the works for older adults, including “Planning to Age in Place” seminars held throughout the community, which focus on health (including social wellness) and safety modifications for senior residences. There will also be documentary screenings lined up, as well as continued offerings of the Generations Over Dinner program.
“We want to give people multiple options. If they don’t feel comfortable with one thing, we have other places for people to give back and participate,” Davis explained.
Did you know that can support the Area Foundation’s work with the older adult community through our SALSA program? You can find the donation link here.
Eric Moreno is a contributor to the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Storytelling Ambassador Network.
