WEBVTT 00:00:01.089 --> 00:00:04.889 Here's a surprising truth. People who feel deeply 00:00:04.889 --> 00:00:08.269 connected to others tend to live longer. Not 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:11.449 because of fancy medicine or perfect diets, but 00:00:11.449 --> 00:00:14.550 because of love. Today I want to show you how 00:00:14.550 --> 00:00:17.829 love, connection, and feeling valued can actually 00:00:17.829 --> 00:00:20.690 protect your health as you age and what you can 00:00:20.690 --> 00:00:23.469 do right now to build more of it into your life. 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.239 I'm Robin Schiltz, a senior home safety specialist, 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:29.879 and after years of working with older adults 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.359 and their families, I've seen this truth play 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:35.960 out again and again. Let's talk about why this 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:39.359 matters so much. When most people think about 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.259 longevity, they think about doctors and pills 00:00:42.259 --> 00:00:45.759 and exercise plans, and yes, those things matter, 00:00:45.859 --> 00:00:49.439 but here's what often gets missed. Human connection. 00:00:49.579 --> 00:00:53.740 It is not optional. It is biological. Our bodies 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:56.840 respond to love in real and measurable ways. 00:00:57.299 --> 00:01:00.119 When you feel connected to someone, your stress 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:03.340 levels drop. Your blood pressure often improves. 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:06.680 Your immune system works better. You sleep better. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:10.659 You even heal faster. When someone feels lonely 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.819 for long periods of time, their body stays in 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:17.719 a low -level stress mode. Cortisol stays high. 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.560 Inflammation goes up. Over time that stress wears 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:24.239 down the heart. the brain and the immune system. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:27.560 I've seen this happen with seniors who were physically 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:30.959 safe at home but emotionally isolated. Their 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:33.640 homes were fine, their medications were managed, 00:01:33.819 --> 00:01:36.840 but something was missing, and that was connection. 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:41.159 Now compare that to seniors who feel loved. They 00:01:41.159 --> 00:01:44.340 have someone who checks in, someone who listens, 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:46.920 someone who cares if they're having a good day 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:50.400 or a bad one. Those seniors often do better. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.099 They move more, they eat better, they stay engaged, 00:01:54.519 --> 00:01:56.500 they have a reason to get up in the morning. 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:01.200 Love gives life momentum. And love does not have 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.840 to mean romantic love. This is an important distinction 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.900 to understand. Love can come from a spouse, from 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:12.439 adult children, from friends, neighbors, from 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:15.259 people in a faith community, from a caregiver 00:02:15.259 --> 00:02:17.800 who treats someone with dignity and patience. 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.960 Even small moments of connection count. A daily 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:25.520 phone call, a weekly coffee date, a shared laugh 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:28.439 with a neighbor, a caregiver who takes time to 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:31.439 really see the person, not just the task in front 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:35.599 of them. These moments add up. I once worked 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.039 with an older woman who lived alone after her 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:41.000 husband passed away. Physically she was doing 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:44.849 okay, but emotionally she was fading. What changed 00:02:44.849 --> 00:02:47.629 everything was not a new medication or a big 00:02:47.629 --> 00:02:51.409 home renovation. It was a simple routine. Her 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:53.650 granddaughter started calling her every night 00:02:53.650 --> 00:02:56.710 before bed. Just a quick five -minute phone call. 00:02:57.229 --> 00:02:59.610 But that five minutes became the highlight of 00:02:59.610 --> 00:03:02.870 her day. Her mood improved. She started cooking 00:03:02.870 --> 00:03:06.430 again. She started taking short walks. Her doctor 00:03:06.430 --> 00:03:09.469 even noted her better overall health at her next 00:03:09.469 --> 00:03:13.840 visit. That is not a coincidence. Love creates 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:17.919 purpose and purpose supports health. Now let's 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:20.479 talk about caregivers for a moment because this 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:23.659 matters for you too. If you're caring for someone 00:03:23.659 --> 00:03:26.479 you love, your connection with them matters just 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:30.139 as much as the physical care you provide. Safety 00:03:30.139 --> 00:03:33.840 is important, fall prevention is important, obviously 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.439 medication management is important, but emotional 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:42.389 safety matters too. Speak kindly. Explain what 00:03:42.389 --> 00:03:45.729 you're doing. Include the person in decisions 00:03:45.729 --> 00:03:50.090 when possible. Touch their hand. Make eye contact. 00:03:50.770 --> 00:03:54.090 These moments reinforce dignity and trust, and 00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:57.430 trust reduces fear, and after all, fear puts 00:03:57.430 --> 00:04:00.430 stress on the body, so having less fear means 00:04:00.430 --> 00:04:04.090 better health outcomes. Here's another piece 00:04:04.090 --> 00:04:07.330 that people don't always talk about. Loneliness 00:04:07.330 --> 00:04:10.349 can be as harmful to health as smoking or obesity. 00:04:10.750 --> 00:04:13.330 That's not meant to scare you, it's meant to 00:04:13.330 --> 00:04:16.930 wake us up. If you're aging in place, ask yourself 00:04:16.930 --> 00:04:20.430 this simple question, who do I regularly connect 00:04:20.430 --> 00:04:24.110 with? If the answer feels thin, that's not a 00:04:24.110 --> 00:04:27.589 failure, it's a signal. These signals are useful. 00:04:28.430 --> 00:04:32.269 Connection can be rebuilt at any age. Join a 00:04:32.269 --> 00:04:34.769 local group of something that you're interested 00:04:34.769 --> 00:04:38.110 in, a book group, a garden club, something like 00:04:38.110 --> 00:04:41.069 that. Reach out and call the word firm that you 00:04:41.069 --> 00:04:45.050 haven't talked to in a while. Say yes to invitations 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:48.790 when you can, and let people help you. Ask for 00:04:48.790 --> 00:04:51.730 help. People are always willing to help, but 00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:57.990 people don't ask and so the need goes unfulfilled. 00:04:58.990 --> 00:05:01.389 If you're a family member, you want to check 00:05:01.389 --> 00:05:04.269 on the person not just about safety, but on their 00:05:04.269 --> 00:05:07.129 feelings. You might ask them, who have you talked 00:05:07.129 --> 00:05:10.430 to today? What made you smile this week? Is there 00:05:10.430 --> 00:05:13.189 anything you're missing? Questions like these 00:05:13.189 --> 00:05:17.110 that are open -ended, open doors. Love and longevity 00:05:17.110 --> 00:05:19.910 are deeply linked because humans are wired for 00:05:19.910 --> 00:05:22.949 connection. We're not meant to age alone. We're 00:05:22.949 --> 00:05:26.610 meant to age supported and valued and seen. And 00:05:26.610 --> 00:05:29.610 the beautiful thing is that love does not require 00:05:29.610 --> 00:05:33.250 perfection or big gestures. It just requires 00:05:33.250 --> 00:05:35.930 presence. And a little more presence can mean 00:05:35.930 --> 00:05:39.339 a lot more life for someone. So thanks for joining 00:05:39.339 --> 00:05:42.060 me today. Please share this episode with someone 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:44.300 you care about who could use the information 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:47.560 to make their life safer. You'll find more resources 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:50.300 for seniors and caregivers on our website at 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:53.600 seniorsafetyadvice .com. And if you're searching 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:56.540 for an aging in place specialist, please visit 00:05:56.540 --> 00:06:00.279 our sister website at aginginplacedirectory .com. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.060 And if you haven't subscribed to our YouTube 00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:06.060 channel or to this podcast yet, go ahead and 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:08.889 do that right now. Then come back tomorrow for 00:06:08.889 --> 00:06:11.629 another daily moment of guidance and encouragement, 00:06:12.149 --> 00:06:14.949 right here on the Senior Safety Advice Podcast. 00:06:15.569 --> 00:06:18.029 Until next time, thanks so much for listening. 00:06:18.529 --> 00:06:19.970 Take care. Bye!