The holiday season can be one of the most enjoyable times of the year when spent with friends and family members. There are a plethora of fun, festive activities and events that take place during this season that people often enjoy together. For elderly individuals who are in need of home care, it may be difficult going out and enjoy such holiday festivities. Missing out on these activities commonly causes feelings of loneliness and depression among seniors during this time of year. If you have senior relatives, it is important to reach out to them and involve them in your holiday celebrations.
Even if your senior relatives suffer from chronic conditions or limited mobility, that doesn’t mean they are unable to have any holiday fun. There is a myriad of fun, safe holiday activities that you can do with the senior citizens in your life.
Holiday Lights Tour
If a senior cannot drive and/or isn’t able to walk around a lot, they may not have the opportunity to see the spectacular holiday light displays that people take the time to put up on their homes. But this shouldn’t mean they should miss out on them. Take your elderly loved one on a drive around town to see what holiday light displays the community has to offer. That way, they can enjoy the festive lights without having to walk or drive themselves.
Holiday Movie Night
The amount of holiday movies available is seemingly endless and watching them with family is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. This is especially the case for seniors who have difficulties leaving their homes. Grab some snacks and some comfy blankets, and have a holiday movie night for your elderly loved ones. This allows seniors to stay within the comfort of their own home while still getting a holiday experience with their family.
Holiday Baking Night
When families gather for the holidays, chances are many of them have baked goods to share. Seniors may have difficulties baking on their own, but with assistance from family and friends and even caregivers, you can make baking into a fun bonding activity. To celebrate the holidays, you can bake and decorate Christmas cookies, pies, and any other dessert your family likes to share. You can even skip the baking altogether and just decorate gingerbread houses and have a competition to see who can make the best one.
Game Night
Games are a great way to have fun with a group of people no matter their age, which makes game nights a good choice for seniors. The games can be as simple as bingo and various card games, or you can eliminate competition by doing puzzles. For a more competitive, thought-provoking game, try doing holiday trivia to test people’s knowledge and to get into the holiday spirit.
Crafts
Get creative and have a crafting session with your elderly loved ones. It’s a good way to occupy your time and give yourself and your loved ones a nice creative outlet. Seniors can do plenty of different holiday crafts, such as making an ornament or a homemade Christmas card. Or you can help them start a scrapbook and compile all of their old photos and other trinkets. Scrapbooking is particularly enjoyable because it allows seniors to look back on their memories and share them with others in an organized manner.
With these suggestions, you have many options for fun holiday activities that you can to do with your senior loved ones to safely celebrate the holiday season. However, some of the aforementioned activities can be difficult for some seniors to do without assistance. They may have reached an age where they require some form of everyday help, but you don’t want this to prevent your elderly loved ones from enjoying the holidays and the time spent with their families.
If you have elderly love ones in need of senior care, talk to our care-giving professionals at Assisting Hands Home Care. We offer a variety of elderly care services that will provide seniors with the help they need to live their everyday lives. You can count on our trained and certified caregivers to not only provide the care that your loved ones need, but also provide them with social companionship which is especially beneficial during the holiday season.
With our in-home care services, there’s no need to place your loved one in a home or facility. They can continue to live within the comfort of their own home while receiving proper care. Contact Assisting Hands Home Care to learn more about how our caregivers can help your senior loved ones during the holiday season.
