Activities to Suggest to Your Loved One’s Care Provider

In-home care providers offer companionship and assistance to aging loved ones as they recuperate from an injury or illness or when they suffer from a physical disability or mental impairment. Providing seniors with home care activities can also improve their health and outlook on life, but coming up with suitable activities to keep them entertained and engaged can be tricky for a care provider. It’s important for you to offer guidance by suggesting pursuits you know your loved one already enjoys or ones you think they might like.

Choose Activities They Enjoy

As seniors age, they may face physical limitations and/or have trouble with their memory, but their desire to accomplish things doesn’t vanish. Activities that provide them with a sense of accomplishment may help prevent anxiety and depression. Consider meaningful activities that match their previous interests or talents.

If your loved one has always enjoyed cooking, ask their care provider to let them help prepare meals. Even if they’re only able to perform small tasks, it can still help them feel useful. Former gardeners may enjoy spending some time outdoors tending a small, raised flower bed, or a few potted plants indoors may be more manageable. If your loved one is a sports fanatic, see if their care provider is available to take them on a weekly outing to a local sporting event.

Engaging Home Care Activities

Walking and light exercise is a great way for seniors to keep in shape and get out of the house for a while. Consider simple activities you think your loved one might enjoy, such as walking to a nearby park, or driving to one if necessary, to feed the birds, play some cards, or simply enjoy a bagged lunch. These are easy tasks that provide some exercise and a sense of community. If fishing is possible and your loved one enjoys this pursuit, suggest this activity as well.

Seniors with dementia often tend to wander, which may be because they aren’t getting enough exercise and are feeling restless. Daily walks offer an excellent way for them to maintain their mobility and get some sunshine and fresh air. Even light physical activity can help reduce agitation and may even improve how well they sleep at night. If weather prevents walking outdoors, considering strolling around an indoor mall or signing them up for a low-impact exercise program at the local YMCA or senior center.

Memory Support Activities

Activities should be tailored to not only meet their physical capabilities but also their mental needs to ensure they stay active and engaged. This is especially important for seniors who need memory support. Research shows that music helps those with memory impairments reconnect with lost memories, potentially helping them remember people, places, and events from their past. It can also stimulate your loved one to communicate more, socialize, and become more engaged in the present. 

Music may also motivate seniors to get up and move to the beat, which can be a fun way to add some exercise to their daily routine, and since you know your loved one best, help their in-home care provider by suggesting several songs you know to be some of their favorites. You can also recommend specific genres they’ve always preferred to broaden the selection. 

The Premier Personal Care Home Care Agency

Once you’ve made a list of ideas for potential home care activities, review it with your loved one’s care provider to see which ones are doable and easily worked into a weekly schedule. You can count on Premier Personal Care in Fairless, Pennsylvania, to provide the best possible care for your loved one. We’re a locally-based home care agency that strives to give seniors the support they need as well as the freedom to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Contact us today for more details about the many non-medical, in-home care services we provide.