This may be because family remains so for life, and sometimes whether we like it or not. Siblings, for example, can be one of the longest endured relationships in an individual’s lifetime. This bond ranks second only to that of a mother and child, although they may also create trouble for one another. But, focusing on the positive, “Given their shared experiences, siblings can be a major resource for life review among older adults” (Hillier & Barrow, 2015). In other words, people in their old age reflect on the things they did and accomplished over the span of their life, and doing so ca be much easier with the help of someone who experienced all or some of the same things. In turn, this process influences the concept of self-worth. And, because we are often considerably harder on ourselves then we are others, having a second voice of opinion can seem to boost our confidence. Now, siblings are not the only family members that provide this assistance, but sets an obvious standard for …show more content…
Regardless of your current situation with reference to the family unit, or amongst your friends, there are an immeasurable number of things that you can do to still make a difference. The footprint you make within a community says a lot about who you are, and in turn ushers similar people to join you in doing the same. The bonds and ties that are established in these situations are the ones older adults need to develop relationships and groups with people you have things in common with. The unbiased support and all out encouragement you receive in these settings is unlike that of what you receive from your friends and family. In fact, “Short-term emotional responses to daily experiences at home could, over time, influence the mental health of family members” (Smith, 2014, p.239), so it is equally important to have non-family oriented projects and