GB makes a very relevant point here.  It can be hard to spot someone who could do with an extra friend especially if that someone is you.

Hi LPG,

Friends can be a special link to happiness in later life.  Good friends provide support, boost self-esteem, help relieve stress and encourage healthy eating.

Having someone around can motivate you and help you along the way.  How many times have you felt lonely despite having someone around?  It's good to have that special person in which you can connect.  Often, they aren't your family but a friend instead. You've heard the saying 'you can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family.'

In later life, your friend(s) can often help you cope with traumas, divorce and bereavement better than family members.  They are more likely to have experienced similar life challenges and can offer acceptance, understanding and meaningful advice.

A lot of elderly people say that they never speak to anyone for days on end.  It can be so isolating as they are often housebound.

If you've never mixed then it's likely that you find it very difficult to make friends.  My father, bless him, never made friends.  Instead he was very much focused on his wife and family and he would often say:  'The good friend is the dead friend'.  I never quite agreed as I've always been a sociable sort.  His way of coping was attending church on a Sunday and meeting lots of folk informally.

In conclusion, having friends is especially beneficial for everyone.  Unfortunately, the elderly will experience many of their friends dying so they especially need to work at making new friends.  So go on, go for it.

GB, Camberwell

LPG found another point of view…      (►►►)