Activities for Seniors

The holidays are the perfect time to spend together with family—from the tiniest baby to the family’s matriarch, and each person in between! And this holiday season, whether you’re getting together for a special meal, a holiday party, or a trip to an exciting destination, it’s crucial to be prepared. Consider these holiday ideas for seniors from the Tri Valley home care professionals at Hired Hands Homecare to make any outing safer and more enjoyable for your family.

First, talk through the type of holiday outing that your senior loved one can both enjoy and feel comfortable participating in. Depending on his or her needs and ability level, you could decide on simply going for a leisurely family drive to enjoy viewing holiday light displays, get together in a family member’s home to decorate the house, enjoy a holiday performance at … Read More »

During our lives, we mark time by the change of seasons, and with each new season comes a bevy of outdoor experiences that spark our senses. In the spring, we can smell flowers or rain in the atmosphere. Summer is filled with sunlight that warms our skin and causes our eyes to squint. In the fall, we take pleasure in the cooler air that provides relief from summer’s heat.

According to one study, spending time outdoors makes us feel more alive. For the elderly who have limited access to transportation or diminished mobility, being exposed to the natural environment is even more crucial. Nature Deficit Disorder is a label that originally applied to children who stay indoors too much, watching TV and playing video games instead of playing outside. The term also can apply to older adults who are confined to … Read More »

It’s intuitive to most of us that socializing with others improves wellbeing by keeping one connected to other people’s experiences, beliefs, struggles, humor, viewpoints, and a number of other human occurrences. Now, however, scientific research is proving that socializing with others, and in particular senior socialization, actually may enhance the wellness of both brain and body.

The results point clearly to the benefits of friendship and social engagement for older adults. A study executed by Rush University Medical Center showed that someone who reported a high level of senior socialization was nearly twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living than somebody with a low level of social activity, and nearly 1.5 times as likely to remain free of disability involving instrumental activities of daily living or mobility. Very social older persons had a 70% … Read More »

The holidays are full of festivities, parties, gatherings, and celebrations. But, for an elderly loved one, holiday outings require a little advance planning. Follow these pointers from Hired Hands Homecare in an effort to enjoy fun and relaxed outings with loved ones of all ages this season.

Before leaving the home, consider:

The amount of walking involved, and if there is parking nearby
Whether the destination is flat or has hills or stairs to climb
If there is wheelchair access (if appropriate)
Whether there is cover and shade
Whether there are toilet facilities
Whether there are chairs or benches available in case the senior needs a rest

Be certain to be prepared for a wide range of possibilities:

Have all the medicines needed and take an extra supply, just in case the outing lasts longer or takes an unexpected turn
Have appropriate clothing as well as sun and rain protection
Bring … Read More »

Technology is amazing, and it’s not just for the younger generation to enjoy! Homebound seniors, in particular, can benefit from the social connections available through technology to allow them to remain actively involved in the world around them. Studies have shown that remaining social benefits our health in a plethora of ways: from reducing our risk of disability, to protecting the brain from mental decline, and even lowering pain and our likelihood of becoming depressed.

Hired Hands Homecare Santa Rosa is pleased to offer the following five ideas to help jumpstart your senior loved ones’ enjoyment of technology:

Social Media: Older adults age 74 and above are the fastest growing demographic among social networks, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Social media offers older adults and their families an easy way to check in with each other, … Read More »

Everyone needs a little time to get away from it all, to be alone with our thoughts or to settle in with a good book. But when that alone time is excessive, we become at risk for social isolation – an all too common occurrence as we age. And its effects are more detrimental than you may realize, with the potential to impact both physical and mental health in a variety of ways.

Studies have shown that socializing:

Reduces risk of disability
Reduces depression and pain
Protects the brain from mental decline
Increases the quality and length of life

In-home caregivers, such as those at Hired Hands Homecare, can help the older adults in your life stay social and protect their health by:

Encouraging attendance and serving as a personal escort to social outings such as club meetings, community events such as fairs, holiday celebrations and parades, … Read More »

As we discussed in our last blog, bringing the whole family together for an activity, such as creating a memory book, can provide a wonderful opportunity to connect seniors more closely with the younger generations. At Hired Hands Homecare, we believe it’s so important to strengthen family bonds, and work hard to help seniors participate in activities that foster togetherness with their loved ones, fighting off feelings of loneliness and isolation. There’s no better time than the holidays to bring families together, so we’ve compiled some holiday tips for seniors to help your family.

Sometimes, physical or cognitive limitations can make it difficult for seniors to fully feel a part of the festivities. And sometimes, younger family members can get so caught up in the hectic pace we’ve grown accustomed to that even with the best of intentions, older family members … Read More »