Take time to socialize at holiday with your elderly loved ones

Take Time To Socialize

For many families, the holiday season marks one of the only times of year that all members can gather together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. The portrait before and after this joyous time, however, is often far less picturesque for seniors living alone or far away from relatives.

As the aging population continues to grow – the U.S. Census Bureau projects over 88 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. by 2050 – memory loss and dementia in seniors are posing a major public health burden and it’s often difficult for relatives to monitor that aging family members are getting the level of stimulation and socialization they want and need. But there’s hope: According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers have found evidence that seniors in the United States with active social lives may have slower rates of memory decline and lower mortality rates.

Given these findings, Comfort Keepers^®, in-home care services providers located nationwide, has provided the following tips for family members to address with their aging loved ones this holiday season to ensure a happy and healthy time is had by all.

1. Link Up with Like Minds: Senior groups plan activities like exercise, meals, games and trips for seniors wanting to get out of the house and expand their circle of friends. Look into these groups with your loved ones and find one what best fits their interests.
2. Pick Up a Pen: Sending holiday cards is a wonderful way to spark a new kind of relationship between family members. Once these lines of communication have been opened, seniors will be more inclined to keep up with the correspondence long after the holiday season ends.
3. Get in the Game: Brainteasers, memory games and mathematical puzzles are not only fun but can employ areas of the brain that aren’t regularly stimulated. Try a few with your loved one while you are in town and leave them with a few books or games that they can continue using after you leave.
4. Make a List and Check it Twice: Send your loved one a list of possible gift ideas for other family members and friends and review their purchases upon your arrival while helping them with wrapping. If you have the luxury of arriving prior to the holiday, accompany your loved one on a shopping excursion to select the perfect presents.
5. Hire a Helping Hand: If you are still concerned about your loved one when the holiday season comes to a close, discuss the possibility of hiring an in-home companion. Not only will this person be able to help with basic chores and activities but the companion will be able to provide much-needed social interaction for your loved one on a daily, weekly or live-in basis. For more information, go to www.comfortkeepers.com

Holiday Activity Ideas to do with Seniors, Elderly relatives, friends

Holiday Activity Ideas

During the holidays, seniors often experience feelings of isolation and loneliness, so it is important to keep them active and involved. Try to include your loved ones in the family holiday preparations and activities.

1. Cook a favorite meal together. Prepare a dish the senior loved as a child or once prepared as a holiday tradition. Involving the senior in the process, instead of making it for them, allows the senior to feel helpful and needed.
2. Make a family cookbook. Either organize recipes the senior has stashed away or hunt down some of their favorites from family members. This can also help you prepare dishes they will enjoy and be comforted by.
3. Set up a Christmas tree or Menorah. Decorations add so much to the holiday season. Help your loved one feel at home during the holidays by setting up their Christmas tree or Menorah with them. Again, having them help you put ornaments on the tree or plugging in the lights can make the senior feel helpful and involved.
4. Drive to see the beautiful holiday lights. Taking a senior loved one – especially a senior who can no longer drive – on a drive through town can be a delightful experience.
5. Watch old family movies together.
6. Play a favorite board game. It is important to get seniors minds engaged by playing games or doing puzzles. Interaction is important for seniors, especially during the busy holidays.
7. Take a walk down memory lane. Holidays bring back memories, and seniors often find great joy in having someone show interest in them and their past. Whether it’s looking through photo albums or just sharing stories, you can help the senior in your life feel loved and involved with this stroll down memory lane.
8. Address holiday cards. Sending holiday cards is a wonderful way to keep in touch with family and friends. Holiday cards are a simple and thoughtful gesture that can help seniors to stay in contact with people they might not otherwise keep up with.
9. Sing carols with friends and neighbors. During the upcoming season, encourage the senior in your life to get together with friends, family or neighbors and sing holiday carols. Carols can be enjoyed anywhere, in your neighborhood, a downtown center, or even a living room gathering.
10. Bake holiday treats. The holidays are filled with wonderful traditions, especially traditions that can be tasted. Most seniors have holiday favorites from when they were kids or from family reunions. Find the seniors favorite recipe and help bring some holiday cheer to their home and heart.

If you live far away from your loved one and cannot be with them for the full holiday season, try encouraging them to join a senior group in their area. Long, cold winters and holiday seasons often bring depression and isolation, so it is important that seniors feel connected and active. For more information, go to: http://www.comfortkeepers.com/holidays/ActivityIdeas.html