Matthew Hertenstein is director of the Touch and Emotion Lab at DePauw University in Indiana; talking about adult Americans he says “Most of us, whatever our relationship status, need more human contact than we're getting. Compared with other cultures we live in a touch-phobic society that’s made affection with anyone but loved ones taboo.” Yet extensive studies performed by the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute indicate that touch can lessen pain, lower blood glucose, slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, improve pulmonary and immune function, and enhance alertness and performance. What’s not to approve of?

If lack of touch is true for all adults, it’s even more relevant for most older people, who often live alone and are relatively socially isolated. What can be done to redress this almost universal absence of touch? Well, there are many ways seniors can receive their daily doses of healing touch, starting with regular companionable physical contact. It’s not all one-way of course, and seniors are just as capable of initiating appropriate touch as anyone, so let’s not hold back when we want to show our love and appreciation with a friendly hand on someone’s shoulder or suggesting a hug!

There are many other ways of giving and receiving touch – spa treatments, facials, pedicures and manicures are all gifts to ourselves. Massage is particularly effective, not just establishing physical connection but also easing aches and pains and improving posture, balance and circulation. Seniors who receive regular massages often experience a greater sense of well-being, notice clear physical improvements, and sleep better at night. Several studies have shown that massage can also decrease agitated behavior in dementia patients.

Physical contact, whether it’s an enthusiastic handshake, an encouraging pat on the back, a welcoming embrace, a nudge for attention or a tender hug, can convey meaning more powerfully than language, and is just as important to our physical and emotional health. Even the briefest of touches can elicit a strong emotional response. There is nothing like the supportive and comforting experience of being touched by someone who cares about us.