The Biggest Health Decision You Might Not Discuss With Your Doctor

As we age, we may think about health in terms of doctor visits, medications, specialists, surgeries, all that medical “stuff.” But we may not be thinking about a key driver to our health: where we live and the community we are a part of.

I was recently sharing some research on this topic with our residents here at Bayview. Research continues to show that a move to a Life Plan Community (like Bayview) has positive impacts on health and extends lifespan. There are several reasons that may explain this.

Perhaps most important, think in terms of expansion versus contraction. When one is part of a Life Plan Community, the social landscape and opportunities for engagement grow enormously. From dining with friends and neighbors, participating in hobbies and classes, taking excursions together – there’s so much to do and so many people with which to do things. Loneliness is a killer – research supports that. Engagement is a life enhancer – research supports that. Community isn’t a nice to have. It’s a must have that deserves at least equal stature in your longevity protocol.

And just like other interventions, timing is everything.  Waiting to move until a fall, a death of a partner, a hospitalization, or the like, means that you may already losing physical, cognitive, and emotional reserves that can be harder to rebuild once diminished. Being proactive and intentional means building reserves so if and when challenges arise, you have higher capacity to manage them.

All this to say, what if the most powerful medication isn’t a pill bottle hiding in your medicine cabinet? In fact, what if it’s not hiding at all? It might be at the dinner table surrounded by friends. Maybe it’s in a morning tai chi class with your neighbors, or a writing class, or simply relaxing with friends because the chores of maintaining a home have been delegated out. And so forth. Thriving is more than just managing. It’s being intentional about the environment you create for yourself. Rather than a new prescription, perhaps a new address is just what the doctor ordered!

Originally posted for Queen Anne & Magnolia News.

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