Creating Safe and Enjoyable Activities for Seniors at Home

If you have a senior family member who is still able to live at home, that’s wonderful news. You want to celebrate their independence with them while still allowing them to feel safe and comfortable in their own space. This means as you spend more time with your senior loved one, you should incorporate more safe and enjoyable activities for them to enjoy at home. These activities can be enjoyed on their own or with other family members. 

Learn why you should help your elderly loved one discover new fun and engaging activities and which ones may be best for their needs. If your elderly family member is able to offer input, incorporate their ideas into your activity planning. As you check on and help care for your aging loved one, you can engage in these safe and enjoyable activities with them.

Why Is Planning Safe And Enjoyable Activities For Aging Loved Ones Important?

Your loved ones, even though they are older, still need to be mentally and physically stimulated by activities that challenge their bodies and minds. It’s also a way to bond older relatives with the rest of the family. Safe and enjoyable activities take away the monotony that can sometimes accompany old age, and allows the elderly to enjoy their home life more while also being under the watchful care of their loved ones. 

If you have ever been to a nursing home visiting loved ones, you’ve noticed they have activities directors who help create fun and engaging activities for residents to enjoy. These activities are often mentally stimulating group projects, such as Bingo, word searches, or listening to live community performances. Activities have to revolve around the restrictions an elderly person has, as nursing home injuries can cause quite a legal conundrum that often requires the assistance of a nursing home injury lawyer.

Safe And Enjoyable Activities For Aging Loved Ones To Partake In

There are many safe and fun activities an older person can do at home, and many of them can be enjoyed by other family members as well. The key to these activities is that they are productive, creative, and don’t take a lot of physical effort or learning to achieve so those performing them don’t get frustrated or overwhelmed doing them. Here are some ideas. 

Planting A Simple Raised Garden

Your aging loved one can easily weed and care for a raised garden that doesn’t require them to get on their hands and knees to water and tend their plants. Have your senior loved one choose a handful of plants they like (be it herbs, flowers, or vegetables), and help them plant their raised garden beds. Having something to grow and tend to can make elderly living more engaging. 

Starting A Memory Book

Does your senior loved one have a plethora of newspaper clippings, photos, and other memorabilia that can be placed into a memory book? If so, this is a great and creative activity seniors can enjoy anywhere, be it from a nursing home bedroom or their own kitchen table at home. 

What makes a memory book such a fun activity is that it is mentally stimulating and helps your senior loved one keep their memories more alive. If your loved one is suffering from loneliness or some memory issues, memory books created by activity, date, or other criteria can be a wonderful way to keep memories alive. This is an activity they can turn to again and again to find some joy any time of day. 

Bird Watching

Bird watching is an easy and relaxing hobby your aging loved one can pick up at any time. They can take a pair of binoculars, a bird book, and a notepad with them wherever they go, noting the birds they find. It’s a great way to help your senior loved one socialize as well and can be a fun way for them to learn a new hobby. Bird watching can boost a love of nature, encourage healthy exercise, and can be mentally stimulating as well. 

Starting A Game Night

Game night is something you can start doing with your senior loved one, inviting as many family members as can make it at a designated date and time on a regular basis. Game night can be as simple as playing child-friendly card games or involving your loved one’s favorite classics, such as chess or checkers. Game night gives your senior loved one something to look forward to, especially if they live alone. This is why it’s important to pick a regular time and day to have these game nights. 

Setting A Chore Schedule

If your senior loved one wishes to remain entirely independent, then it’s wise to help them set up a chore schedule, lined up with chores they can easily accomplish on their own or with gentle help. These activities may seem mundane to you, but to a senior who wishes to be helpful, independent, and useful, doing chores (especially with a loved one to keep them company) can prove to be a very safe and enjoyable hobby. Chores can include cleaning or reorganizing the bathroom, vacuuming, or dusting. 

Wrapping Up

Whatever safe and enjoyable activities you and your senior loved one decide to do together, keep in mind your senior relative’s abilities and interests. The biggest factor is consistency in providing and managing these activities, so make sure whatever activities you choose, you can commit to making them happen. This way, your senior loved one has these activities to always look forward to.