Do you have a beloved family member or friend who is growing into their older years?
Getting old is often the fear of most people, not because of mortality, but because of the experience that comes with growing old. Most say that people start to disconnect as soon as they reach a certain age.
This makes it harder for them to have a social life, often leaving them to spiral into depression. To prevent that, you need to engage with seniors whenever you can. Below, we’ve got a few tips on elderly care and how you can involve a beloved senior more.
1. Talk to Them, Even When You’re Miles Away
Adults 60 and older in the US are more likely to live alone when compared to seniors in other countries. More elderly adults in the US are also more likely to live as a couple without children at home.
It stems from the practice of leaving the home once a child reaches maturity. Without anything else to focus on, seniors become lonelier. This kind of loneliness affects senior mental health.
You can reduce their loneliness by visiting them and sharing your stories with them. If you can’t make a physical visit, use technology to your advantage. Give them a call or a video call.
A simple “how do you do” can take years off their slumped shoulders and wrinkled faces. They’ll enjoy the time you made for them, even if you talk about little things.
2. Practice Elderly Care by Discovering New Hobbies Together
Do you enjoy a certain hobby that you think an elderly person can also do? Don’t stop at wondering if they can. Introduce your hobby to them to see if they’ll enjoy it.
One of the principles of nursing home care includes getting seniors to pursue hobbies. It opens the doors for them to socialize, make new friends, and improve their mental health. Some hobbies can also improve their cardiovascular health and immunity.
You can also ask if they want to pursue a passion that they couldn’t when they were younger. It’s your chance to help them explore forgotten interests. Plus, it’s a great way to bond with them.
3. Exercise and Stay Healthy With Them
Exercise is a key factor in maintaining good health and longevity. It can reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions and keep you fit and healthy. You can also say the same for seniors, even if they have health conditions.
Among older adults, 85% have one chronic disease at least, and 60% have at least two chronic conditions. Regular exercise can help them manage the symptoms of chronic disease. However, because of their age, it’s more challenging for the elderly to exercise.
You can help make it easier for them by doing physical activities with them. It can be as simple as taking regular walks at the park or around a senior health care compound. Even if they have mobility issues, you can find chair yoga or seated exercises for them.
4. Take a Relaxing Walk With Them
Going to a green and quiet place with an elder family member can increase your engagement with them. It doesn’t even have to be a green place, like gardens or parks. It can be a beach, a farm side, or a national park.
You can both bask in the beauty and purity of nature. Reconnecting with the environment is also a great way for an elderly person to develop peace of mind. It’s good for senior mental health and yours, as well.
5. Read Together to Keep Their Brains in Tiptop Shape
Did you know that 80% of the 5.8 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are 75 or older? Like our bodies, our brains also start to give and deteriorate as we get older. You can keep an elderly friend or family member from developing dementia by reading with them.
This is a good strategy in senior care, especially if you can’t exercise or go outside to take a walk. Reading will improve memory, sleep, and delay cognitive decline. This is because it causes the mind to focus on something.
Do you want to involve socialization in book reading? Organize a book club for your grandma with her friends. If your elderly dad loves reading books, have him relay its simple story to his grandkids.
6. Play Games to Make the Most of Your Time With Them
A fun way to care for your elderly parents is to play your favorite games with them. Some elderly adults get quite competitive in their old age, and you can use that trait to keep them engaged. Put together puzzles, play chess, answer crosswords, and more.
If you like browsing the web, you may know of the Gamer Grandpa/Grandma. You can also get your elderly family member to become one by sparking their interest in a video game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Professor Layton games are ideal for older adults.
Video games like Wii Sports also help improve senior health. If your elderly parents or grandparents want to try golf but can’t leave the house, get PGA Tour 2K21 for them. If you don’t have a console, games like Wordscapes and Candy Crush are great mobile alternatives.
7. Give Back to the Community Together
Do you know of a senior who wants to do more to improve the community? Is a senior in your family starting to question their existence? Help them find the answer through charitable works.
Join local charities and organizations that have projects for older adults. Elderly adults in these programs learn to create blankets, hats, or care packages. Next, these crafted or assembled items will get collected and given back to the community.
Give Your Seniors Engaged and Happy
Elderly care doesn’t have to a chore for you or the elder. Use these tips to know how to keep seniors engaged and keep them active today!
Do you want to have professionals engage and take care of seniors that you know? Contact us here and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as we can!