Friendships support your physical health, because they can help to:

• Speed recovery time after illness
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower the risk of heart disease
• Sharpen memory
• Improve sleep quality

Having good friends is also good for your mental health, because they can:

• Help you enjoy good times and cope with tough times
• Support you when you make positive lifestyle changes
• Encourage you to avoid unhealthy habits
• Help you improve feelings of confidence and self-worth
• Increase your sense of purpose and belonging
• Boost feelings of happiness and life satisfaction

Find friends, both old and new

It may be difficult for your loved one to keep some friendships going. People move, become ill, or pass away. However, making new friends is always possible—it just may feel more challenging than it once did. Here are some ideas for your loved one to try.

• Volunteer: It’s a great way to meet people and contribute to a need in the community.
• Join a senior center: If they’re able, your loved one can participate in activities and classes, and meet people their age who might be having similar experiences. You can search for a senior center and council on aging near you on the Massachusetts Councils on Aging website.
• Attend a house of worship: Many offer activities just for seniors.
• Take part in a book club: It’s a great way to see people on a regular basis and get some intellectual stimulation. If it’s hard for your loved one to get out, perhaps they could set up a book club with friends online. Using audiobooks can be helpful, if vision is an issue.
• Use social media: These platforms are great for helping people reconnect with old friends and learn about activities they can participate in.
• Visit a Memory Café: These informal gatherings offer a place for you and your loved one to socialize, listen to music, play games, and enjoy other activities.

How to take care of friendships

Here are some tips for nurturing and maintaining friendships. If your loved one can’t do them independently, you can try doing them together.  

• Get together on a regular basis. It could be for breakfast, a movie, a walk, or another activity.
• Communicate. Calling, emailing, and texting are all great ways to keep in touch. It’s important for friends to know what’s going on in each other’s lives.
• Help out in difficult times. Make a meal for a sick friend, call or send a card to someone going through a tough time.

Keep in mind that these suggestions may be helpful for you as well. The important thing is to stay in touch however possible.

You may encounter some resistance

Be prepared if your loved one makes excuses for not going to socialize. They may feel tired, shy, or a little nervous. They may say it’s too difficult because of their health issues. These are normal reactions.

Start small—perhaps 1 event a month—then work up to more. The results of going out, being active, meeting new people, and developing new friendships will far outweigh any feelings of reluctance.

Another kind of resistance you may run into is from your loved one’s friends—especially if your loved one has a serious diagnosis. Friends may feel uncomfortable visiting for a variety of reasons. Your loved one’s diagnosis could remind them of their own mortality, or they simply may not know what to say. 

If friends’ visits are becoming rare, encourage your loved one to keep in touch in other ways. Social media, email, calling on the phone, and sending cards are some examples.

You’re focused on helping your loved one be as healthy as they can be. Helping them find and keep friends will go a long way toward improving their emotional and physical health.

Originally posted: January 2019
Last updated: March 2026

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