When you move into an independent living community, you gain access to amenities and services designed to make life more convenient and to enhance your overall wellness. You’ll find it easier to get your steps in and make smart choices with your nutrition, but you’ll also make strides with your social health thanks to friendly neighbors around every corner. Maintaining social engagement is important, as there is a direct connection between positive mental and physical health and social connectedness.

As you live a busy and rewarding life in your independent living community, make time to stay engaged not only with your fellow residents but also with the broader community around you. You’ll find that the benefits build up quickly, whether that means sleeping better, feeling less anxious, or simply having more energy. Here are just a few ways you can make it happen. 

Staying in touch with family and friends

If you’re nervous about making new friends at your independent living community, start by brushing up on your connections with family and friends. 

• Designate a day of the week when you write one letter or email to a family member. 
• Connect via text message. Create family or friend text groups where you share your Wordle score for the day, silly jokes, or quick updates about your day.
• Try out social media, but focus on using it to connect with family and old friends. Avoid sharing viral posts and unreliable news; instead, use it to share photos or videos of your day privately with your group.
• Schedule video chats to maintain a connection with loved ones who live far away.
• Invite family or friends over for a cup of coffee, lunch in the dining room, or a stroll around the grounds of your independent living community.

Get involved with community clubs and committees at your independent living community

Your independent living community likely has a full list of resident-run clubs that offer easy ways to connect with neighbors while pursuing a common interest. Clubs are an excellent place to meet potential new friends. You can always leave the club if you don’t enjoy it.

• Your community’s event calendar might list club meeting times. Highlight a few that sound interesting to you and commit to attending. If they are not posted publicly, ask your community’s activities director for a list.
• If your community doesn’t have a club that interests you, consider starting one. It can be as simple as gathering in the library once a month to talk about local history or meeting once a week after breakfast for a walk together.
• Learn about your community’s resident committees. Choose one that interests you, such as the culinary or the activities committee, and attend a meeting. You can learn about what’s happening within the community, meet residents who are also on the committee, and hear from those who are not so you can represent their voices.

Pursue spiritual and religious fellowship

If religion or spirituality are important to you, connect with the opportunities for fellowship in your independent living community.

• If you are interested, attend religious services or studies at your community. Check the activity calendar for information about services, location, and times.
• Pursue other spiritual opportunities on the activity calendar, including meditation or prayer groups.
• Offer to host a religious fellowship gathering after services at the community.
• Check out the transportation services at your community to see if they offer rides to places of worship. If they don’t offer transportation to a place you are interested in, talk to the activities director about it. They may be able to schedule a volunteer to give you a ride.
• If you love a certain church or other place of worship, contact them directly to see if they have a visitation volunteer program that allows someone to visit you regularly in your community.

Attend excursions or outings

Most independent living communities offer regular group outings into the greater community to places like theaters, local museums, restaurants, sporting events, and more. Check them out to explore your greater community and connect with new friends along the way.

• Ensure you have a copy of your community’s activity calendar and sign up, if required, for trips that sound interesting. Sometimes there are limits on participants, so be sure you know how to sign up and when to do so to secure your spot.
• Some independent living communities have travel clubs that do more than day trips to nearby locations of interest. If you’re interested in learning more, attend a travel club meeting or set up a time to talk to your activities director about starting one if it doesn’t already exist.

Make events a part of your daily routine at your independent living community

Connection and socialization don’t happen without a little bit of effort on your part. An easy way to ensure you are getting out and about to make the relationships happen is to commit to attending at least one event per day, even if you aren’t feeling social or outgoing. You can choose to attend a small group activity, a passive activity (like watching an entertainer perform), or something more active (like a walking club or yoga class). While you’re at the event you’ve chosen for the day:

• Try to say hello and make eye contact with at least a few other people.
• If you’re feeling up to it, try sitting at a table near neighbors you don’t know very well.
• If you see someone who is new to your community, welcome them and offer them a seat next to you.
• Ask the people around you if they enjoyed the event on the way out.

Ask for help

Sometimes you can be doing all the right things and still not feel connected to others around you. This is totally normal, especially if you are naturally more introverted or shy. You can always ask for help:

• Speak with the community’s activities director, social worker, or another person you feel comfortable with. Talk about what you’re struggling with and see if they have any suggestions or how they can support you as you continue to try to get more involved.
• Talk with your family members about how you feel. They can support you by attending events or meals alongside you. Sometimes having a friendly face nearby can help enhance your bravery to speak with someone new.
• Keep your medical team in the loop, especially if you have depression or anxiety. A new treatment or intervention could help you feel more comfortable as you begin to explore more social connection.

Building and maintaining social connections in an independent living community takes a little effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Whether you’re reconnecting with old friends, trying out a new club, joining a spiritual group, or simply showing up for daily events, maintaining social engagement helps nurture your emotional, mental, and even physical health. Remember, there’s no one right way to connect. Start small, and don’t be afraid to ask for support along the way.

Senior care facility rules and requirements vary based on company-specific policies and state-level regulations. The content above represents common guidelines but may differ from a particular facility’s policies or requirements. To learn the regulations that apply in your state, contact your local Oasis Senior Advisor.