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Assisted living experts have already mastered the art of fun indoor activities for the elderly, even before we have limited exposure outside due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At-home activities are essential in keeping our beloved seniors engaged, active, and happy. In assisted living communities, indoor activities are excellent in keeping residents stimulated, busy, and well-bonded with one another.
This is especially important for seniors because they are more vulnerable and at high risk. They needed to be kept safe and healthy inside their homes or senior facilities.
Also, older adults who have already lost mobility due to injuries and arthritis deserve to be entertained and be active as well. Certainly, loss of mobility and the pandemic do not mean the end of good times. There are many ways to boost mood, cultivate relationships, and stay engaged with the world in the safe spaces of your own home or community.
Here are some ideas from Best Place for Seniors experts that you can adapt for your senior family members at home.
7 Enjoyable At-Home Activities for Seniors
1. Bond over books
Reading is a fun activity for adults. It is also a well-known fact that reading improves brain health. It can help improve memory, stimulate emotions and thoughts, reduce stress, improve sleep, and delay cognitive decline.
Pro tip: If they are having difficulties with eyesight or have less attention span for reading, try out audiobooks and interesting podcasts. And if you share similar interests, make it a family event to bond over books.
2. Play games
Games and puzzles are fantastic ways to enjoy spending time. There are so many to choose from, depending on their interests and abilities. They can play with a group, one-on-one, or solo.
Pro tip: If you want a more physically active version of games, try organizing “home versions” of your favorite game shows, such as Wheel of Fortune or Family Feud. There are many templates online that you can easily download on your computer.
3. Take a virtual tour
Google Earth is an amazing tool to “travel” without leaving the comforts of your own home. You can try looking up online the places your elders have visited while they were younger. You can even look up their childhood schools or the hotel where they spent their honeymoon. If they have old pictures, compare and contrast what these places looked then and now.
Pro tip: You can make an event out of it by treating it like a movie night, complete with snacks and cozy ambience in the living room.
4. Cook and bake
Does your family have famous recipes passed down through generations? Now, you don’t need a family reunion or a birthday party to recreate them. Ask your senior parents or older adults to teach you the family recipe you always wanted to learn, but did not have time to do so. It is a win-win situation!
Pro tip: Share or even exchange these warm and yummy recipes with their other senior friends. Then go online and make it a virtual group date for them!
5. Bring out your green thumbs
One thing is for sure, staying at home made a simple garden or park seem like the “great outdoors” altogether. It made us appreciate nature even more. Besides, being outside in nature reduces stress and fosters well-being. The act of gardening itself helps them exercise motor skills and gives them control in an unfamiliar situation.
According to Alzheimer’s Society’s garden guide, nurturing plants also helps maintain existing skills that provide pleasure and confidence at a time when memory loss or physical decline can affect people’s self-esteem.
Pro tip: How about trying growing vegetables and herbs for your family recipe? This vegetable garden could even promote a healthy diet in your family.
6. Redecorate at home
Make indoor spaces less dreary and more vibrant by redecorating them, especially while seniors are isolating. If you have been meaning to declutter or do a little repainting for so long, this could be the time to do so with your older family members. Even the small changes could improve the ambience of a room.
Pro tip: While they are in isolation, you could revamp a space dedicated for their interests and entertainment. If they are music enthusiasts back in the day or always been interested in painting, that could be their space.
7. Exercise
Even in isolation and even if your older adults are not mobile, there are still activities that could get their bodies moving. Being active is great in setting them in a happy mood and keeping their muscles and joints moving.
For our older adults who have limited mobility, they can opt for seated exercises and chair yoga routines. There are also exercise routines that could be done with a walker for stability.
Pro tip: Tune in to Youtube for guided exercises. There are millions to choose from that your loved one could enjoy.
Create the Environment Seniors Would Enjoy
More than just to pass the time, happy and energetic activities are beneficial for the mood, body, and relationships of our senior adults. Activities that are carefully planned for the health of older adults are beneficial in their physical preservation, mental stimulation, and reduction of isolation. These activities are one of the best parts of residing in an assisted living community, and now our experts have made them closer to your home.
But for our beloved seniors who are in need of much closer assistance and hands-on services, opting to live in a senior facility might be a better option. If you happen to be looking for an assisted living community in South Carolina, BestPlace4Seniors could help you out.
Connect with us today, and we will match you with a community best suitable for you or your loved one.
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