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Comfort Keepers Celebrates National Day of Joy

By Comfort Keepers

Jun 19, 2020

Leading In-Home Senior Care Provider Places Priority on Finding Joy and Sharing with Others, Reinforcing Relevance in Light of Global Pandemic 

Comfort Keepers® of Berks County, a leading provider of in-home senior care, will celebrate the National Day of Joy on June 24, 2020. 

The National Day of Joy, which takes place every year on the last Wednesday in June, was established in 2019 to help inspire and encourage people to experience joy and share it with others; an action that has become more meaningful in the current COVID-19 environment.

To celebrate, the Berks County office of Comfort Keepers will be surprising Berks County seniors with special “socially distanced” visits by “Joy Teams” and extra-special interactions with their regular caregivers.  Visits will take place on both June 23 and June 24.  The public is invited to participate by following the “Comfort Keepers of West Lawn & Reading – PA” Facebook page throughout the day to witness the spreading of JOY across Berks County.  

 As part of the first annual Day of Joy in 2019, Comfort Keepers released the results of its National State of Joy survey, which polled Americans on what brings the most joy into their lives. The survey found that people with the greatest levels of joy are older, with those over 60 averaging higher levels of joy than 18-29 year old’s and those 45-60. According to this same research, residents of Pennsylvania reported that traveling brings them the most joy.  The 2020 National Day of Joy research indicated that residents of the greater Northeast region reported that sharing family meals brought them the greatest joy.

National 2020 ’State of Joy’ Survey

Each year, as part of the National Day of Joy, Comfort Keepers conducts a survey that polls Americans on their perspectives about joy, including specific activities that bring them happiness, evolving attitudes about joy in light of current events as well as overall opinions about the state of joy in the world. 

  “We’ve all been impacted by events in our local community, state and country,” said Jennifer Mish, Comfort Keepers co-owner. “The results from the National State of Joy survey make clear, that even in difficult times, we are all looking for ways to experience joy. We understand this, which is why we focus on doing activities with our clients that bring them happiness, from listening to music to baking cookies to reliving family stories.”

The 2020 survey was conducted from May 5-11 and polled 2,000 Americans; 1,000 of those surveyed were 30+ years of age with at least one living parent, and 1,000 were people aged 65+.

In the Northeast:

  • On an average day, 75% of people said they are joyful, while 6% said they are not.
  • The activities that bring Northeasterners the most joy are:
  • Family dinner 59%
  • Spending time outside 56%
  • Watching a favorite movie/TV show 55%
  • Receiving a hug 52%
  • Going out to dinner 51%

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Americans were already on the quest to find joy, peace and balance in their busy lives, in an effort to improve mental health. Simple, sometimes mundane activities have become increasingly more meaningful in today’s setting, as more people are spending a greater amount of time at home.

While these ‘simple pleasures’ are bringing many people joy, the majority are participating in these activities alone. This national survey found that more than half (57%) of all people aged 65+ have missed hugs from a loved one since being in quarantine. This has also been difficult for the “sandwich generation” – a group of people who are tasked with caring for their aging parents as well as their own younger children. This has made caregiving services, like Comfort Keepers, even more critical during this time. On the National Day of Joy — and every day after that – the sandwich generation is comforted by the fact that even if they cannot visit or spend time with their loved ones, they are in good hands with a qualified Comfort Keepers caregiver.

National survey results also include the following:

  • Eighty-five (85%) percent agree that finding joy is more important now more than ever.
  • Many individuals are enjoying certain activities now that they did not have time to do before COVID-19, including:
    • Spending time with family (33%)
    • Reading (32%)
    • Taking walks (28%)
  • Almost three-quarters (72%) agree that technology has brought them a lot of joy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “At Comfort Keepers, we believe that no matter someone’s age, experiencing daily moments of joy is critical for maintaining physical health, mental health, and overall well-being,” said Dave Kendall, Comfort Keepers co-owner. “Our senior loved ones, many who have been disproportionally affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, want the same opportunities for joy and happiness that we all do. We are proud to help seniors live the best quality of life today and every day. “

To participate in the National Day of Joy, do something that makes you or someone else happy, and share your activity on social media using the hashtag, #NationalDayofJoy. For more information about the National Day of Joy, visit https://www.comfortkeepers.com/offices/pennsylvania/berks-county-west-lawn/resources/events/comfort-keepers-national-day-of-joy.

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