Things To Do With Senior Parents Living At Home
If you have senior parents living at home with you, chances are you’ve sometimes thought about different ways to spend quality time with them and break up the regular routines. This is great chance to truly appreciate each other’s company and allow for making some precious memories. Below is a list of some activities that can be shared with a senior parent living at home, both with or without limited mobility.
Baking and Cooking
Put on some music and bake a batch of cookies, loaves or muffins, or prepare a special meal together. This is a great way to catch up and share on a rainy day or try a new recipe that you’ve never tried before, and enjoy the fruits of your labour together. It’s a great activity for all, but especially those seniors who may have some mobility issues.
Arts and Crafts or Other Hobbies
Another option for indoor days when it’s too cold or rainy to go outside is sharing a hobby with your senior parent. Knitting, crocheting, indoor/container gardening or learning a new skill together, such as a new language or an instrument are all fun ways to spend some quality time. Scrapbooking and memory books or photo albums are a fun way to relive some great memories and tell stories. Puzzles and other games are also great ways to keep away the boredom and engage the mind.
Reading/Listening to Music Together
Reading together is a wonderful way to keep the mind sharp and active. It improves memory, helps keep cognitive decline at bay and reduces stress, which also aids in better sleep. Regardless of the materials you read, whether they are books, newspapers or e-readers, it’s time well spent learning and relaxing. Joining a monthly book club is also a fantastic way to ensure that not only will you reap the benefits of reading together but also of socializing and sharing with others as well.
Visiting Family and Friends
A great idea to uplift spirits is to visit with other family or friends. Studies show that socializing with others is beneficial to mind and body, regardless of one’s age. Being around children or pets also generally helps with elevating moods and bringing smiles to faces. Engaging together in a game, hobby or photo album is a great opportunity to bond and enjoy each other’s company and it can bridge the generations as well and maintain family connections.
Exercise/Walking Together
Getting outdoors for some outdoor activity and fresh air is a fantastic way to spend some time with your loved ones. Going for a leisurely walk, a brisk hike or something in between, is not only good for the heart and body, it’s also good for the soul. Even if your older adult isn’t very mobile, there are exercises that can be done standing or even sitting in a chair – and these will still have health and mood benefits also.
Watch TV or see a Movie Together
Enjoying a TV show or a movie together is a relaxing and enjoyable option for all ages. Whether you stay at home with a blanket and cup of coffee or a bowl of popcorn, or you venture out to truly enjoy the full movie experience, seeing a movie together allows for a chance for be transported to another place and entertained for a period of time. It also allows for conversation about the show afterwards, sharing ideas and thoughts about what you saw.
Day Trip to Parks, Museums and Other Places of Interest
Take advantage of the beauty that is Vancouver and ignite your sense of adventure and exploration with your active senior. There is no shortage of things to see and do in our beautiful city. Whether it’s a stroll along Stanley Park’s seawall, exploring the endowment lands of UBC, visiting Granville Island, taking in one of our beautiful art galleries, a hike on our many trails, indulging your culinary tastes in one of our notable restaurants – the list is endless. There is no shortage of ways to spend your time around the Lower Mainland and the mild weather allows for both indoor and outdoor outings year-round.
Volunteering/Charity Work
Participating in charitable work is a great way to spend time together with your older adult. Whether they are very active or not, there are many ways to still give back to the community. This is a wonderful way to feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment as well as stay engaged. Contact local hospitals, charities and religious organizations to see what opportunities exist to help out and give back. This can be done both from home or by helping out directly within these organizations.
Travel by Land, Air or Sea
If you’re fortunate enough to have the means and an active senior in your family, taking a short or extended trip together by land, air or sea can provide you with an experience that is priceless and memories to last a lifetime. The possibility for road trips are plentiful thanks to our proximity to so many fantastic regions. You can head north towards Whistler, south towards the US, east to the Okanagan or west to Vancouver Island and you won’t end up disappointed. Or you can take a flight and take a getaway together to a sunny destination to get away from the cloudy, rainy skies. Additionally, cruises are particularly popular with older adults and have services and standards catering to them particularly. They tend to be a perfect getaway for seniors as everything is taken care of and you can do as much or as little as you’d like. Exploring and having getaway adventures together can be as small or as big as you want them to be – but the memories you make in your shared time together are invaluable and will further strengthen your connection.
