As people get older and they retire from work they might find that they have a lot of free time but not that much to do or people to see. When your health as an old person starts fading away you also might not be as able to go out and thus your contact with the outside world might start to fade too. But in order to keep a healthy mind and body old people need to stay active and have a lot of social connections.
You might have elderly parents and you don’t want them to feel lonely. But you also have your own family and work and finding time to balance all of this can be difficult. Here are some simple tips to help you prevent the old people in your life from feeling alone and allowing them to lead active lives.
Set A Regular Time To Visit Them
It is really important that you think of a day in the week when you can go and meet your elderly relatives. It doesn’t need to be anything long, even popping by for just a few hours can really bring up their spirit a lot. Make sure you also stick to this routine.
It is a good idea to use this time to do something that they really enjoy doing. For example you could bake together or just go for a walk to the local park. Make sure you allow the elderly person to talk about themselves and share stories, even if you have heard them before.
If you live a lot further then try giving them a call every other day. Talking on the phone is important and it really shows them that you care. Your elderly parents or other relatives won’t be here forever and it is important that you enjoy the time you have with them right now.
Find Them A Hobby
You should also encourage the elderly person to start a new hobby. It is essential that they keep exercising their brain as they get older and having a hobby can help ensure they do this.
For instance, collecting can be a really fun hobby to start with. It will also allow the elderly person to meet new people and really reminiscence about the old days. Collecting items, like dolls or coins, can guarantee the person has something fun to do throughout the day. There are plenty of great unique doll makers, such as A Girl For All Time that provide a lot of accessories to keep doll collectors busy for a long time.
Another great hobby that will keep them physically active too is dancing. People used to go dancing a lot and it is likely that your elderly relative did this when they were young as well. It is also a great way to see other people at their age and can guarantee they make new friends.
Keeping fit is really important and surprisingly Health Briefs reports that elderly people benefit more from physical activity socially rather than physically. It is indeed important to guarantee your loved one stays happy because a happy mind will keep the body in order as well.
Mark is into helping people live happier lives and he is constantly trying to think about new ways to make sure old people stay part of the society as well. He is also a big fan of card games and loves to play poker with his friends.