How to Enhance Daily Life for Seniors (Elder Care) and Reduce Your Own Stress In the Process

Make time for pleasurable activities. It will allow you and your loved one to relax and enjoy what’s important in life. The process of care-giving will run more smoothly and will help improve your senior’s outlook on life. You both deserve it.

We all need to find pleasure in our daily lives. Some of the most important care you give is to laugh. How about a cup of tea together and reminisce of good times of the past. These are as important for our wellbeing as a daily dose of vitamins.

When you care for emotional and spiritual needs, in addition to physical needs, you live better and enjoy more of life.

Social Contacts

Encourage social contacts. If you are caring for another person, the limitations can dramatically change your social life. It may be hard for you to get out and socialize. Friends may no longer come to visit or include you in their activities. You and the person you care for may begin to feel lonely and isolated.

Ideas to Help You Keep Up Social Contacts.

• Getting out visiting friends may be difficult for you or the senior you are caring for. Encourage people to visit.
  Be honest about your limitations. “I’m just not able to invite you for dinner, but we’d love to have you stop by for some ice cream later.”
  If it’s hard for others to visit, suggest they send cards or letters, or make short phone calls.

• Offer suggestions for visiting.
  A successful visit can be reading aloud, take a walk outside, play cards, or watch a ball game together; these activities can be easily enjoyable for both people.

Check out Adult Day Centers And Senior Centers in your area

Adult day centers offer supervised activities for adults. People can attend once or several times a week and create craft projects, exercise, join discussion groups, and eat together.

Just as important, these programs give you, the caregiver, and regularly scheduled breaks. You can choose to see friends, enjoy a game of golf, or garden or shop without worry.

If you care for an older person, she may enjoy organized activities at a senior center. You and the person you care for may be able to participate in activities together, or you might find separate activities occurring at the same time.

Find what activities are offered and select the ones most desirable and enjoyable given your interests. Participating in activities you have an interest in will allow you to have some fun and at the same time provide an opportunity to meet new people. It can be pleasant and you may discover new friends you enjoy.

Include Pleasant Activities In Your Daily Schedule

Research has shown that frequent pleasant activities help reduce symptoms of depression in caregivers, and the people they care for.

Ideas for enjoyable activities:

• Share a funny story or joke together.
• Get outside. Go for a ride, visit a park, and drive in the countryside. Go to the zoo.
• Rent a video, make some popcorn, and have a “night in” at the movies.
• Bake bread together.
• Enter contests.
• Work in the yard together. A person in a wheelchair can water the grass or cut up branches to be disposed of.
• Call a radio talk-show.
• Play a board or card game. Change the rules if necessary.
• Fold laundry together.
• Look through magazines and find a new recipe to try.
• Make a tape recording of family stories.
• Reminisce together. Older people especially enjoy thinking and talking about old and often happier times.

By Dawn Wood
Lifestyle Designer
www.lifestyleinsd.com