Thursday, July 10, 2025
Celebrating Social Wellness Month
July is Social Wellness Month, a time to highlight how meaningful connections, engagement, and shared experiences enhance our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Research shows that social isolation among older adults is linked to greater risks of depression, heart disease, and cognitive decline, comparable to major health threats like smoking.
Community Starts with Connections
AgeGuide is partnering with our region’s health departments and funded partners to promote the importance of social connections to our physical and mental health. This partnership will spread awareness of the variety of programs available to do just that.
Here’s how AgeGuide and its Funded Partners are helping older adults stay connected this Social Wellness Month and beyond.
Friendly Visits & Phone Calls
The Friendly Visits and Phone Calls programs pair older adults with trained volunteers who provide regular in-person visits or phone calls. These interactions are more than check-ins; they’re meaningful moments of shared conversation, laughter, and company. Especially for those with limited mobility or homebound circumstances, these visits and calls create vital human connections. Find a friendly visitor or class near you by visiting AgeGuide’s website or contacting (800) 528-2000.
Health Promotion & Education Classes
Social wellness extends beyond conversation; it thrives in active, communal learning. The health promotion programs include:
- A Matter of Balance: Addresses fall prevention, boosts movement confidence, and reduces fear-induced isolation.
- Bingocize: Combines bingo fun with gentle strength and nutrition lessons.
- Fit & Strong: A multi-component exercise program for older adults with arthritis.
- Tai Chi for Arthritis: Improves balance, flexibility, pain management, and immunity
These programs are offered in-person and online across the eight counties. Find a program near you.
Other Important Programs for Social Connection
- Community Dining: Enjoy a healthy, delicious meal in a warm, friendly setting with neighbors and friends. Offered on weekdays across AgeGuide’s eight counties, meals are served in safe, welcoming locations throughout the community. Find locations here.
- Community Connections: Welcoming programs that spark learning, support well-being, and bring people together through fun activities and meaningful conversations.
Social Connections Matter
These programs and those offered by our partners at the county health departments, bridge loneliness and empower healthier, happier, and more connected lives one visit, call, and class at a time. To find your local health department, click here.
