Isolation. It’s one of the biggest challenges our aging loved ones face. As they grow older, our senior parents and family members spend more time at home and indoors. Health concerns, limited mobility and other effects of aging often prevent them from visiting some of their favorite places and enjoying some of their favorite activities. This can be discouraging and disheartening for our older family members especially if they were active, outdoorsy or just social butterflies.
To reduce these feelings of isolation, it’s important for you and your family members to engage with your senior family members. You can help them understand that, although they may not be able to participate in some activities, there are plenty of other fun things they can do at home. And best of all, you can do these activities with them!
Below are some activities for elderly family members that they and their family can enjoy at home!
Activities for Aging Loved Ones with Greater Mobility
If your seniors have good mobility, then they may still be able to enjoy some of their favorite activities – with a few minor adjustments:
- Gardening – If your mom, dad, aunt or uncle earned a reputation as the family member with the greenest thumb, then this activity is ideal for them! While bending, kneeling and lifting may be more difficult these days, they can still garden with a little bit of assistance from you or other family members. During the winter months, they can keep their gardening skills sharp by planting an indoor herb garden. Best of all, they can use the herbs in their dinners and share them with their family members!
- Cooking – Does your senior loved one love cooking? Are they the keepers of a legendary recipe that’s been in the family for generations? If so, you can help them continue to enjoy cooking by being their personal sous chef! They can still call the shots in the kitchen, but you can assist them with some of the minor tasks such as chopping, dicing, lifting and cleaning. Plus, they’ll be able to share these special recipes with you so that these favorite family dishes can be enjoyed for years to come.
- Crafting – If crocheting, knitting, sewing, scrapbooking and other crafts and hobbies are their passion, then break out the hooks, glue guns and other tools of the trade for some great at-home fun! Or if they’ve never had the time to craft but want to learn, that’s no problem. The two of you can watch some online crafting tutorials together and learn along the way!
Activities for Aging Loved Ones with Limited Mobility
Senior loved ones with limited mobility may be having a tougher time adjusting to being homebound and slightly less independent. While they may be unable to perform certain activities that they enjoyed, there are still lots of wonderful things they can enjoy with you and the family!
- Playing Board or Card Games – Does your senior loved one have a competitive streak? Do they love building their brain power? Or maybe they just love a table full of family members having fun? No matter which scenario describes your aging parent or relative, they’ll be thrilled if you and other family members pull up a seat and play some games. Whether it’s a two-person game like chess or a multi-player favorite like Monopoly, they’ll enjoy every moment of this activity.
- Listening to Music – Sharing their passion with others is something many music fans enjoy. So find a comfy spot in their living room, pour everyone a cup of coffee or tea, and listen to some of their favorite tunes on the radio, voice assistant device or record player. The best part about this activity is that it usually acts as a catalyst for senior’s memories. Certain songs bring back great memories that they can share with you and the family.
- Sitting Outside – Their limited mobility may prevent them from driving or walking around their neighborhood. But they can still enjoy the beauty of the outdoors from their own backyard. When the weather is warm, take the conversation and the refreshments outside and enjoy the sunshine, gentle breezes and birdsongs.
These are just a few of the many fun at-home activities your elderly family members can enjoy with their families, friends and neighbors throughout the year. We hope they inspired and motivated you to spend more time with your aging family members to help them stay engaged and reduce their feelings of loneliness and isolation.
When you cannot be there to assist your aging parents or relatives, let the certified specialists at Keen Home Care help. We are here to help you and your family find the right solutions for your life care management needs.
Contact us today to learn more about our home care solutions and resources!
