Elderly Care 101: Make It Count

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elderly care arms around each other

It’s difficult to care for the elderly but it is rewarding at times since we let our loved ones feel that they’re still important to us. One of the things we can to do to show them that is by spending time with them, not just tending to them when they need us.

Activities are a good way to let our elders maintain their health and be stimulated physically, mentally, and socially. One way to start out is exercise, but remember to ask your attending physician first before attempting any kind of intense exertion. If you have the approval of your physician, go ahead. Anything that requires physical exertion is a kind of exercise, such as a walk at the park, aimlessly walking at the mall or going shopping.

Games, such as The Wii is good too, since it is a console that requires physical movement to play. Fitness games might be something your elders might enjoy. If they’re good with computers, they can also try out some other games such as RPGs to keep them busy, or teach them to use social media. This can help them keep connected with family members far away, or they can even blog about their youth and wide experiences. Aside from video games, they can also play some old-fashioned games to mentally stimulate them such as chess and checkers, cards, puzzles like sudoku and crosswords, and trivia games.

Elders would also like to have some fun once a while, and that fun can be as simple as visiting a pet store in town, eating out and having lunch at their favorite restaurant, or sitting down and having a nice cup of coffee and a couple of desserts at a local café. You can also bring them to watch movies or local live concerts, or if you don’t want to be around that many people, gather the family and pop a DVD in, and have a movie night at home. Aside from watching newer movies, you can also look for old shows, or those they used to watch every day, or their favorites, so they can reminisce. They might even want to re-watch the entire thing! Or if they’re up to it, ask them for their favorite recipes, and ones they’ve learned from their parents as hand-me-downs, and write them down and make them into a book. Then you can cook together!

Elderly loved ones sometimes feel like a burden on their families, so invite them to be a little bit more involved in the house. You can do this by letting them help with the chores, such as folding the laundry or stringing beans, but be sure not to give them any of the more taxing ones. Make them feel important and loved by inviting other family members to come and visit. Ask them to bring their pets so that it can interact with your elders. When visiting, ask family members to stay for a movie or a meal, so that grandma or grandpa can enjoy having people around.

Caring for our elderly is difficult and very consuming, both physically and mentally, but we do this because we love them. Let them feel involved, loved, and connect often and well with them to avoid isolation and depression. Inspire them to keep on learning and having fun!

About the author:

katrina peria guest author bioKatrina is your average gal living inside the metro who has passion for writing, travel and photography. She admires nature at its finest and always wanted to become one of them. Dreaming to have the Cinderella life one day, humming with the birds, dancing with the clouds.

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