There are numerous ways to stay connected to loved ones. Providing for the happiness and health of your elderly family members and staying involved in their daily lives are extremely important to overall wellbeing. Providing loved ones with the opportunity to stay connected to the family and their environment helps keep them stimulated.
Mental and Physical Activities
Mental, physical, and social stimulation play key roles in avoiding feelings of depression and loneliness. There are many different ways to keep your loved one happy and having fun throughout their life.
Working on mental and physical agility can be easily accomplished by playing games daily. While games may not seem like a very effective way to stay mentally connected, simply playing old favorites like cards, trivia games, or checkers all work to keep the mind moving each day and helps to promote mental strength retention.
Physically staying connected by going on walks, even if your loved one needs to be pushed in a wheelchair, can make a difference in mood by seeing a change of scenery.
Outside Entertainment
If your loved one is healthy enough to get out of the house on a regular basis, going on fun excursions can make a world of difference. Seeing new places, visiting friends and family, or seeing a local high school’s drama or music production can provide low-stress entertainment.
Staying entertained can be done at home as well; having TV series or movie nights are a great way to reminisce by watching their favorite old programs.
Family Activities
When family visits, have them bring along Fluffy! If your loved one is not allergic, and has a love for pets, seeing a dog or cat for a few hours every once in a while will bring a smile to their face and give them something furry to look forward to.
If your loved one is not happy around pets, they may be happy around food. Creating a family cookbook or making their favorite meal with some of their help can get their mind active and keep them in tune as they have to pay attention to when water boils, stirring occasionally, or when the baking timer goes off.
Document Memories
Another great way to keep your loved one’s mind active and thinking is to “interview” them. Not only is this great bonding time to spend with them, but it also allows them to talk about a simpler time when they were young and thinking of all the fun they had.
Recording on paper, video, or voice recording also gives documentation of memories that can be remembered for years to come – and it is a great representation of them and a little piece of history.
Keeping your loved one in your home is always a wonderful option, and having family around daily is great for them. Their mental and physical health is often impacted by their social health, taking a little time out of the day to make them smile will make all the difference.
At Angels Senior Living, we are dedicated to helping your loved ones feel right at home and we feel it is important to provide whatever we can to keep them connected. Call us at (877) 480-2244 and speak with one of our Senior Living Consultants to find out more today.