Cold weather can make it difficult for seniors receiving home care Oakville to stay active. Even when temperatures drop, however, physical exercise and social engagement remain a vital part of maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Following are 4 fun activities your elderly loved one can enjoy all throughout the holiday season.
1. Starting a Holiday Book Club
Winter is the perfect time for reading. Few things are as comforting as a good book and a warm fire. Your loved one and a live-in or hourly caregiver in Oakville can work together to create a holiday book club. Members can vote on titles and then meet up to rehash their favorite chapters and offer insights on storylines and character conflicts among other things. When the weather becomes too blustery for in-person meetings, book clubs can get together on their preferred social networking sites.
2. Creating Holiday Crafts
Crafting is a great way for your loved one to stay occupied while boosting both physical health and mental wellbeing. Holiday crafts can include handmade tree ornaments, crocheted scarves, hats, and blankets, and scrapbooking. Crafting requires dexterity and can help your loved one maintain and increase his or her fine motor control. Donating crafts to local hospitals or charities can also give your loved one a renewed sense of purpose, which can be especially beneficial if he or she has recently retired.
3. Gardening Indoors
Indoor gardening is fast increasing in popularity given more people are recognizing the widespread health benefits of cultivating and cooking with fresh herbs. Best of all, there are a number of comprehensive indoor gardening kits your loved one can use to get his or her garden set up. Gardening is a peaceful, cathartic activity that can help alleviate stress and depression, both of which are common among the elderly during the winter months.
4. Scheduling a Game Night
Getting together with friends or family to play games is the perfect way for your loved one to unwind in the winter. Playing cards, board games, or even building puzzles together can boost mental acuity, fine motor coordination, and overall wellbeing. Much like book clubs, game nights can also be taken to the web when outside temperatures are too harsh for an in-person meeting. Setting up online groups for gameplay can allow your loved one to indulge his or her competitive spirit without having to brave the weather.
Certain activities may be difficult for some seniors to accomplish without assistance. A professional caregiver from Home Care Assistance can help. We offer a wide variety of specialized services to meet your loved one’s care needs. If your loved one needs Alzheimer’s care in Oakville, for instance, he or she may benefit from our revolutionary Cognitive Therapeutics Method, an activities-based program that promotes mental acuity. For more information on CTM or our other senior care services, call one of our experienced Care Managers at (905) 337-1200 to schedule a free in-home consultation.