Time goes by so fast, and often we are so focused on ourselves aging that it can become a shock when we see our loved ones have also gotten a little older too. Sometimes this can be a reality check and invite us to start thinking about spending some quality time with our family before they are no longer there.
That being said, it can be difficult to come up with ideas for activities depending on how able your elderly relatives are, and you might feel stuck for suggestions.
This piece is going to take a look at how you can make the most of your time with your elderly relatives while you still can.
Read on to find out more.
Get Them to Tell Their Story
Your elderly relatives have a whole world outside of what you know about them, and it will all be from a different time. Not only can it be great for seniors to share their memories with loved ones so everyone can enjoy them, but it will also help keep their minds sharp and allow them to focus on the great things worth remembering.
Be particularly mindful of this, as the time could be right for them to share something with you, but you might feel like you are in a hurry or would rather do something else in the moment. Try to prioritize talking to them and listening because as soon as they are gone, so are their stories in the way they want to tell them.
Make New Memories
It is never too late to make new memories, even if they end up being just for you. Take your loved one out for dinner, or if they are not able to do that, bring dinner to them! Find a new favorite film to watch together or start a book club between the two of you. Board games can also be a great way to spend time with seniors as they can be calming and very low impact.
It will be important for you to assess the needs of your loved one and understand what they can and cannot do. If your loved one has dementia, they can still benefit from you spending time with them and participating in leisurely activities; just make sure to do a risk assessment so they can be kept safe.
Improve Their Quality of Life
Life can get lonely and frightening when you get older, and having no one to rely on can make life much more difficult than it needs to be. If you have a loved one who is living alone, you might find that every time you visit, you have to catch up on chores such as cleaning up the house, cooking, or helping with anything else that gets left behind. There are only so many hours in a day, so it makes sense that this could take up the bulk of the time that you have spare to spend with them.
Improve your loved one’s quality of life by moving them into assisted living if they are struggling. Not only will there be someone to offer a helping hand whenever they need one, but there will also be many more people their age, fun activities to do, and a lot of stress taken off their plate.
This means that when you do go to see them, you can rest assured that everything has been taken care of and that you can spend some quality time together.
Take a look at Palos Verde senior living for more information.
Make Things Together
Whether or not you or your loved one are particularly arty, making things together can be a great way to spend some gentle time together and create something that you can both have to keep. Depending on their cognitive ability and skill, this could be anything from a sewing project to a small painting, and in the end, you will have this treasured evidence of the quality time you have spent together.
You do not have to do anything fancy or outlandish when spending time with your loved ones; it is only important that you do it.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
