There are many challenges when it comes to being a caregiver for an aging senior. Not only do you want to make sure that they are safe and health within their own home, but you also want them to enjoy life still. Just because someone doesn’t have the same strength that he or she did when they were younger, that doesn’t mean they have to stop enjoying life.
When you’re providing home care, you may struggle to come up with things for the senior to do that are fun, engaging, and that help them have a good time during the day.
Getting out on mini-day trips.
For many people, just getting out of the house for a while can be just what the ‘doctor’ ordered. It doesn’t really matter where you go if you’re doing something that the elderly individual can enjoy. If they used to have fun just going to the mall and walking around, then why not take a trip to the mall.
Going to the park can be fun, too. Museums, art galleries, and other attractions can also hold a lot of enjoyment for people of all ages.
If the elderly individual requires assistance getting around, you want to make sure that the location can accommodate them. If the patient is in a wheelchair, the building should be handicap accessible. The same is true if the patient relies on a walker.
What about staying home?
When you stay home with the elderly patient, there are so many activities that can create fun that it’s difficult to include them all in one list, but we’ll do our best to get as many out there as possible.
- Invite their family and grandkids over to play games.
- Rent some old, classic movies that were favorites of theirs and watch them on a rainy day.
- Play card games with them that they enjoy
- Play some of their favorite music and encourage them to sing along with the songs they know well. (Who cares if they can’t hit the right notes … this should be fun!)
- Decorate the house for different seasons or holidays coming up. Create the decorations from scratch.
- Give them a manicure or pedicure. (If you’re not comfortable with this, hire a professional to come to their home for them).
- Go through old photo albums and have them tell stories about the pictures and people they remember.
As you can see, there are plenty of things to do as a caregiver to inspire fun for the elderly patient. All you need is a bit of active imagination.
If you or an aging loved one needs caregivers in Lincoln, CA area, remember Senior Home Care Services for all services needed. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
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