Many seniors face boredom, which can lead to depression and feelings of worthlessness and restlessness. However, you can stop boredom before it begins and affects your senior loved one’s wellbeing. Here are four things your loved one can do to beat the boredom blues.
1. Learn Something New
The National Council on Aging has found seniors who are cognitively stimulated on a regular basis age better and report having a better quality of life than those who aren’t mentally engaged. Learning new things can stimulate your loved one’s mind even when he or she is alone at home. Using the internet, your loved one can learn a new language, take a college course, or develop a new skill. If you have the time, take an online class with your loved one and learn something new together.
Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of at-home care. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide an individualized care plan to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia.
2. Take Up a New Hobby
Raising children and working to provide for a family may have prevented your loved one from exploring his or her interests and hobbies in the past. Encourage your loved one to enjoy his or her freedom by finding a new hobby. Scrapbooking, online gaming, knitting, embroidery, and gardening can keep your loved one engaged and help him or her feel fulfilled.
In Fair Oaks, home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy.
3. Get a Pet
Caring for a new animal friend can make your loved one feel needed. Help your loved one select a pet based on his or her abilities. For example, cats can provide companionship without needing to be regularly bathed and walked like dogs do, making them an ideal choice for seniors who use wheelchairs. Make sure the new pet suits your loved one’s temperament, and help your loved one obtain everything he or she needs to take care of it, including food, a feeding dish, a collar, and toys.
4. Volunteer
Serving others through volunteering can be a great way for your loved one to focus on others instead of his or her own problems. Your loved one can teach a class to a Boy or Girl Scout troop, read to children at the elementary school, or organize events for a nonprofit organization. Check your loved one’s local senior center for volunteer opportunities.
Sometimes the best cure for boredom is having a regular companion who provides mental stimulation and emotional support. For families living in Fair Oaks, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home. Call us at (916) 485-4663 to create a customized in-home care plan.