IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As an advocate of positive, joyful living, Comfort Keepers®, a market-leading provider of uplifting home care for seniors and adults who need assistance, is celebrating its sixth annual National Day of Joy by unveiling new insights from a national survey, shedding light on how adult children are playing a pivotal role in helping their parents embrace the golden years with vitality and joy.
Celebrated on the last Wednesday in June (June 26, 2024), the National Day of Joy was established to emphasize the importance of individuals finding joy, no matter their age, to boost their overall physical, mental, and emotional health. For 25 years, Comfort Keepers has based its business on the insight that no matter someone’s age or acuity, people still want to live a fulfilling life with joy and purpose.
“At Comfort Keepers, our unique mission is to not only provide practical support but to also cultivate joyful moments and experiences that enrich the lives of our clients,” said Natalie Black, Chief Executive Officer, Comfort Keepers. “This National Day of Joy, we are encouraging people to embrace a positive mindset and approach the golden years with a renewed sense of optimism and hope. We understand the value of keeping a positive outlook and the impact this mindset can have on our collective resilience and wellbeing.”
2024 National Power of Positivity Survey
According to the 2024 National Power of Positivity Survey by Comfort Keepers, most Americans say their parent is their best friend. The survey was conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Comfort Keepers from April 8-April 15, 2024, and polled 2,000 Americans aged 40+. Highlights from the survey are outlined below:
A Bright Side to Social Media
When it comes to keeping in touch with their parents, social media has a positive impact.
- More than three-fourths (77%) of adult children who use social media to stay connected with their parents say it’s positively impacting their parents’ lives.
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) say that social media helps their parents stay connected with friends and family.
- Half say that social media helps their parents to reconnect with people from their past.
- Nearly half (44%) say social media allows their parents to learn new things.
Bonds Strengthen with Time
Shared experiences between adult children and their parents can not only create cherished memories but also help serve as the glue that binds their relationship, fostering deeper understanding, empathy, and a sense of connection.
- Half of Americans say their parent is their best friend.
- More than half (58%) are closer to their parents in their Golden Years than ever before.
- A whopping 88% of adult children say doing activities together with their senior parents has had a positive impact on their relationships.
Getting to Know their Parents
The Golden Years of seniors’ lives can unveil profound insights for their adult children, including discovering who their parent is as a person, and experiencing real-time realizations they weren’t prepared for.
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More than half (58%) of adult children say discovering new things about their parents makes them more relatable, and 41% admit they learned something about their parents during their Golden Years that surprised them. The top three things that surprised them the most were:
- Their parents were either married or in a serious relationship before they met their spouses (14%).
- Their parents had keepsakes from their younger years (13%).
- Their parents were enlisted in the military (12%), with WW2 being the top historical event that adult children were surprised to learn their parents were present for.
- The top hidden talents that adult children were surprised to learn about their parents are that they could sing and dance or play a musical instrument.
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More than one-third (36%) of adult children say that while taking care of the needs of their parents they had a real-time realization that they were not prepared for, including:
- Their parents needed more assistance than they realized (29%).
- Their parents began to have difficulties keeping up with their self-care (23%).
- They would struggle with balancing care for their parents and their immediate family (21%).
Positivity Leads to Longevity
A positive mindset towards aging can help enrich the quality of life and studies have shown it can also promote longevity.1
- Two-thirds of adult children say their parents keep a positive attitude about aging.
- Half of adult children say that bonding moments improve their parents’ mood, 35% say it has inspired their senior parents to stay more active, and 30% say it has made their senior parent more open-minded to trying new things.
- Three-quarters of adult children say it is important to have a caregiving network to support their aging parents’ physical, emotional, and social needs.
“The fact that this survey found one in two adult children consider their parent to be their best friend highlights the profound and enduring emotional bonds that can form within families, underscoring the importance of continuing to share in activities with older parents,” said Sherri Snelling, gerontologist, author and spokesperson for Comfort Keepers. “Creating memories and moments of joy for older Americans helps forge lasting connections that enrich the lives of both generations and contributes to a positive mindset towards aging, ultimately promoting longevity and well-being for all ages.”
The company’s caregivers deliver uplifting support to seniors with a refreshing perspective that emphasizes the beauty and richness of life's later chapters. With Comfort Keepers by their side, families can navigate the complexities of aging with confidence, knowing that every moment is an opportunity to create cherished memories and embrace the joy of living. Comfort Keepers has made it their mission to not only help today’s seniors thrive and find joy, but also to invest, inspire and nurture the caregivers who care for them.
This year, the National Day of Joy will be celebrated in more than 100 locations nationwide where Comfort Keepers has a presence and will include both virtual and local celebrations and various social media extensions to help local communities inspire joy. For more information about the National Day of Joy, Comfort Keepers services, or to become a caregiver visit www.ComfortKeepers.com.
References:
- Psychology Today, Why It’s Time to Start Thinking More Positively About Aging, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-at-any-age/202208/why-its-time-to-start-thinking-more-positively-about-aging
About Comfort Keepers®
For 25 years, Comfort Keepers® has been Elevating the Human SpiritSM through its in-home care network for seniors and other adults by empowering them to maintain their independence and realize joy in the everyday moments. Comfort Keepers operates a franchise network that has grown to more than 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada, serving hundreds of thousands of clients since 1998. The company’s nationwide network employs thousands of caregivers, also known as Comfort Keepers®, who deliver joy through interactive caregiving by continually communicating with, involving, and engaging with seniors in everyday tasks and activities. For more information, visit ComfortKeepers.com.
