While children’s schedules are packed with afterschool activities and summer camps, adults seem to have an issue of an ever shrinking social circle and hobby life. What can hobbies do for you and do they matter in the big picture of things?
You’ve probably often heard that it’s good for kids to have hobbies. Adults often encourage kids to spend more time outside, either just to play or to practice a sporty extracurricular, given that it is both good for their mental and physical health and helps them get rid of excess energy so they’re not as rowdy before bed. But children are rarely encouraged to maintain those hobbies and extracurriculars during adulthood. And it’s even rarer to see fully grown adults get encouraged to start or keep up with a hobby with the same enthusiasm. Why is that? And more importantly, should they?
A study published by Nature Medicine explains the importance of having and keeping up with a hobby, or leisure activities, as it supports a “wide range of physical and mental health outcomes throughout the course of life”. Hobbies and crafts have always been a way for people to socialise. While some people are more introverted than others, humans are social animals, we crave bonds and company, so among the previously mentioned broadly beneficial aspects of keeping a hobby, they can also be a source for your inter-human relationship needs.
On the other hand, while able-bodied young adults and older adults are facing this dilemma in a more mild manner, disabled people and older people might have more troubles in going out of their way to find and outsource their social life and hobbies. This is one of the primary reasons that fabric-arts and crafty hobbies and small businesses have been on the rise as of late. They provide a more accessible activity and way of revenue for those who for various reasons cannot leave their homes. [Idea to be developed]
Another study published in 2023 by H.W. Mark et al , which studied the effect of hobby activities and their effect on the well-being of people aged 65 and above in 16 countries, such as Germany, Italy and Sweden, showed the results that “given the relative universality of findings, ensuring equality in hobby engagement within and between countries should be a priority for promoting healthy ageing.”
Older people tend to feel lonely after a life of working and raising children, often forgetting to put themselves first. Therefore, they need hobbies in their lives to help them with both mental and physical health. More than that, hobbies can help elderly individuals reconnect with themselves, with what they enjoyed doing when they were younger.
According to Eurostat more than one third of people aged 75 or more participated in cultural and sporting events in the last years. Those activities help them stay active and feel happier.
In the last 20 years, urban cities from Europe have developed more according to older people’s needs, providing them with accessible activities to fill their time. For example, in Cluj Napoca, Romania, there are day centers for elderly people, where they can engage in activities such as arts and crafts, dancing, cultural and sporting events.
A good example is “Fundația pentru îngrijirea vârstnicului” (Foundation for elderly care), which was founded in 1998 and it is still active to this day. This day center is completely free of charge, and it gives senior citizens the possibility to know each other and to spend their time in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.
This center provides elderly people with various services, such as:
– group support activities
– cultural and artistic activities
– leisure and socialisation activities
– literary circles
– board games: chess, rummy, backgammon
– English lessons and computer operating classes
– psychological counselling and emotional support for the elderly and their families
– advocacy services
– physical maintenance exercises, kinetotherapy
– medical care: monitoring vital functions (BP, Pulse), weight control, measuring blood sugar, measuring blood cholesterol, health education
– road trips around Cluj and at the seaside
– distribution of material aid from donations: food, clothing, footwear, medicines, small household items, hygienic and cleaning materials.
The number of contributing members of this day center is 136 elderly individuals, of which 65-70 beneficiaries participate daily in the scheduled activities.
Another such, but much younger, organisation is the Febe Elderly Care Home is managed by the Febe Foundation and has been operating since 2019 on Mureșului Street in Cluj-Napoca.
We spoke to Erika Kozma, the Executive Director of The Febe Elderly Care Home, and she was happy to tell us more about the activities they offer at this facility.
Q: We know that this care home for the elderly has been operating since 2019, so can you tell us more about the story behind it?
E.: We have been taking care of the elderly since 1995. We had a smaller home for 25 people, and in 2019 we managed to build this new home.
Q: How many elderly people are currently living here?
E.: We have 68 beneficiaries.
Q: What are the favorite activities by the elderly, offered by the foundation?
E.: We have various activities. Every morning from 11 to 12, we have an activity program: drawing, painting. We have a therapeutic painting group, we watch movies and virtual travels, which are very appreciated. We also have word games, memory training games, quizzes, bingo every two weeks, which is really loved, as well as board games adapted for the elderly, outdoor activities, and different activities where they feel important and useful. Yesterday we picked lavender from the yard to make lavender oil. We try to involve them in kitchen activities so they feel useful: cleaning green beans, cracking nuts.
Q: How often are the activities taking place?
E.: We have activities every day, from Monday to Friday.
Q: How does spending time with people their age and engaging in activities help the elderly?
E.: Social workers organize the activities. During these activities, they do not collaborate much with each other; there is a kind of rivalry. They do not like working in teams. Instead, selfishness comes to the surface, which is accentuated at this age. They take great care of their space and defend it. So, I cannot say that these activities facilitate collaboration among them.
Q: How do you help the elderly feel at home? Do they have culinary preferences and do they feel like they belong to a family within this care facility?
E.: We organize events for them, inviting their relatives. Last week, we had a garden party which is held annually, and we prepared together: we decorated the yard and prepared a small surprise for the relatives. There is a community atmosphere, as we do something together. We also organize trips and outings, in smaller groups, to the park and the nearby lake. We have a new project in the countryside, 40 km from Cluj, where we are setting up a place to take them. We aim to create a good atmosphere for them. For them, home is here. When we go somewhere, they say, “let’s go home,” meaning back to the care home.
Q: Do their families visit them often?
E.: It varies from beneficiary to beneficiary; some receive visits daily: usually sons visiting their mothers, as we have observed. There are relatives living abroad who visit less often, and there are also people without any relatives.
Q: What activities are requested by the elderly residents? Do they have specific preferences and how do you manage to fulfill them?
E.: Regardless, they just want some activity. Trips and outings are their favorites, or if we have guests: artists, singers, children’s groups, choirs. They enjoy this very much.
After visiting the facility, it left the impression of a welcoming environment, in which the elderly could spend the sunset of their life.
More and more attention is brought to the subject, with ongoing plans to build and open more, to encourage care and to provide all these possibilities to the elderly.
But beside these elderly care centers, there are some who can still enjoy their own social circle and hobbies. Often times, pets, spouses and friends will be the reason someone elderly will go out into the world to enjoy themselves, exercise and socialise some more!
Mrs. Maria is a 79 year old lady that lives in Baciu, Cluj-Napoca. Originally from Timișoara, she moved to Cluj 20 years ago, when her nephew was still a student at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology. Now, she spends her days caring for her best friend, Patrocle, a 7 year old dachshund dog.
“My daily activities consist of going on walks with Patrocle, watching TV, going to the grocery store and to the fruit market. I don’t feel like I am 79 years old.”
Mr. Petru K. is a 69 year old retired man from Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Suceava. He lives close to his mother, which he takes care of. Despite his age, he spends a lot of time on the internet.
“My hobbies are surfing the internet, talking to people, going on walks with my dogs and meeting up with friends and neighbours at the local bar. Even if I’m an old man, I talk to ladies my age on dating sites, it makes me feel young again.”
Mrs. Crăciuna is a 71 year old lady from Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Suceava. She lives with her husband, Grațian, and they spend their days together. They both have their own hobbies and activities, apart from the life-long relationship.
“I enjoy having coffee with my friends, either at my house or at their place. I go on walks to find some peace and quiet in nature; fresh air makes me feel good. Every other day I go to the local bar with my friends and neighbours to chat and spend time. I often surf the internet, cook and crochet. My husband spends his time repairing bicycles and motorcycles, that is his primary hobby.”
Hobbies are an important part of someone’s life, that helps them in more ways than we think. Making friends, discovering parts of yourself, having fun, learning and keeping healthy — some of the benefits that hobbies bring into our lives.
Written by Andy Malik and Alexandra Nisioi
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