Whether due to illness or limited mobility, some seniors find themselves unable to leave their home. The good news is there are a number of fun ways to keep aging adults active, engaged and healthy, even after they’ve become homebound. Following are six strategies from Home Care Assistance of Albuquerque for keeping an aging parent’s life filled with excitement, social opportunities, and joy.
1.Start a Book Club
Organize a book club and invite your loved one’s family members and friends to attend. Participants can select and read a new book each week and then meet to discuss the plot while enjoying a healthy array of snacks and beverages. You can host these meetings potluck style and can even make arrangements with local libraries to have books delivered directly to the home. Most libraries also provide digital copies of popular books that can be enjoyed on e-readers and on other hand-held devices with Internet connectivity. Digital books are perfect for readers who need larger font sizes given that text sizes can often be adjusted on-screen to meet the needs of the individual.
2. Get Your Loved One on the Web
Get your loved one on Skype or on any other popular social networking platform so he or she can continue to communicate and engage with family members and friends. There are also a number of online games and mobile apps that are not only fun, but also great for preserving fine motor skills, coordination and mental and physical dexterity.
3. Hire a Caregiver
A part-time caregiver in Albuquerque can help your loved one with daily tasks like preparing healthy meals, light housework, and personal grooming, and also run errands and provide transportation for appointments. Most importantly, a caregiver can offer steady companionship, play mentally stimulating games, and supply conversation for your senior loved one on a regular basis.
4. Create an Indoor Garden
Growing and tending a garden is very cathartic and has a wealth of proven health benefits, including reduced stressed, maintained dexterity, and improved mental acuity. It also gives seniors something to look forward to and a sense of purpose. You can encourage your family member to cultivate herbs, a collection of indoor plants or grow berries right on the balcony. With a vertical garden design, even a very modest amount of space can produce an abundance of greenery.
5. Host Regular Game Nights
Get out the board games and playing cards once a week and invite friends and family members to join. Your loved one can play bingo, checkers, chess or rummy among other games. Best of all, it gives homebound seniors a chance to socialize with their close friends and family members in the comfort of home.
6. Start a New Hobby
Homebound seniors can also take up painting, knitting or writing. Do-it-yourself activities hold a number of incredible benefits at this stage of life and allow seniors to produce real, tangible items that fill them with a sense of accomplishment. Hobbies can also preserve mental acuity and fine motor skills. Finished projects can be cherished in the home, donated to local charities or sold online. Creating and running a successful online store or sending handmade blankets off to a children’s hospital can make a homebound senior feel both valuable and fulfilled.
For more information on how home care can enhance the quality of life for your homebound elderly relative, call Home Care Assistance at 505-798-0800. As a leading provider of Albuquerque dementia care, stroke care, and Parkinson’s care, we make senior health, happiness, and wellbeing our number one priority. Schedule a complimentary in-home consultation with a friendly Care Manager to learn more.
