How Can Seniors Pass the Time as They Age?

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Having more time can sometimes feel like a drawback when seniors don’t know what to do with those extra hours. Seniors who stay busy are more likely to feel happy and be healthier than those who allow themselves to become sedentary. These ideas can help your aging loved one get started on planning activities that help him or her pass the time each day. 

Write a Memoir or Create a Scrapbook

At this point in life, your loved one likely has a lot of experiences that should be shared with younger generations. Whether your loved one served in the military or has years of hilarious stories from his or her time as a teacher, there’s something special about the things seniors have seen in life. 

Encourage your loved one to pick up a pen or keyboard and start writing those stories down. A scrapbook is another option if your loved one tends to be more visual. Your parent can strengthen his or her memory with each story he or she recalls. 

A home caregiver can help your loved one exercise his or her memory and cognitive skills every day. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of home care service. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide an individualized care plan to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.

Take Care of a Pet

Having a dog or cat requires many hours of care, and each moment your loved one spends taking care of a pet is good for his or her health. Your loved one might decide to take the dog for a walk, which can mean getting in a half hour or more of exercise. Feeding, petting, and playing with a cat also provides a sense of accomplishment that can make the rest of the day a little brighter. 

Start a Garden

Gardening offers a variety of benefits for seniors. It’s a low-impact form of exercise that also gets older adults outside in the sunshine. Your loved one’s garden can be a set of small containers he or she puts out on the front porch or a huge bed in the yard. Either way, your loved one can spend as much time as he or she wants tending to the plants and admiring the results. 

Volunteer Their Services

Volunteering is perfect for seniors who are having difficulty filling their time after retirement. Your loved one can choose a position that brings him or her joy, and most volunteer roles are adaptable to seniors’ current abilities and lifestyles. For instance, your loved one can choose to serve on days when nothing else is planned so he or she stays busy without feeling stressed.

If your loved one needs help with transportation to volunteering opportunities or social events, a home caregiver can be a great resource. Clearwater elder care experts are available to provide high-quality care to seniors on an as-needed basis. From assistance with mobility and exercise to providing transportation to the doctor’s office and social events, there are a variety of ways professional caregivers can help your aging loved one continue to live independently.

Craft with a Child

Spending time with children makes the time fly by, and your loved one can choose to pass on his or her favorite crafting skills to a younger person. Crafting also provides many options for activities both individuals can enjoy. Whether making a seasonal wreath or building a popsicle stick house, your loved one can bond with the children in his or her life while also remembering what it’s like to have a childlike sense of curiosity. 

Start a New Hobby 

Sometimes seniors need to challenge themselves. Encourage your loved one to pick a hobby he or she wouldn’t normally try. Trying a new hobby forces your loved one to think outside the box, and having to learn something completely new takes more time than just picking up something he or she has done before. Your loved one will also feel proud of doing something he or she might have felt was impossible in the past. 

A home caregiver can help your loved one find ways to prevent boredom, isolation, and loneliness. For families living in Clearwater, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. Call Home Care Assistance today at (727) 330-7862 to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.

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