Christmas is well on its way! It is the perfect time to dedicate some time and energy to the elderly in your family.
Not to mention, holidays can be fun for seniors and those around them. The trick is to make them feel connected with others so they feel a sense of joy and belonging that they usually seek. Your efforts will go a long way and they will appreciate what you do for them a great deal.
So, spend Christmas with your aging parents, grandparents, or other senior citizens this winter season. Listed below are some fun indoor activities for seniors that will help you engage and entertain them.
1. ONE, TWO, THREE — CHRISTMAS BINGO!
Seniors prefer mild solitude and limited socializing, which is why you can play a fun indoor game like Bingo with them. The game is quite popular among them. Not only is it fun, but it also improves their focus and concentration. When they recall call mixes, their hearing, short and long-term memory, and other cerebral activity are enhanced.
Also, to make Christmas Bingo a tad bit more enjoyable, you could keep prizes for everyone having made as far as possible like snow globes, Christmas albums, socks, creams and hand lotions, etc.
Seniors who have dementia or impaired vision may use cards with bold fonts and typefaces and differentiate between colors. There are special Bingo cards online that you can download from the web and print as well.
Seniors who require aid in participating in strenuous activity should be entertained at home among loved ones around this time. Games like Bingo do not require much effort, so you do not need to facilitate your loved one with extraordinary care. Other than that, make sure you keep Christmas Bingo fun for them!
2. JIGSAW IT UP — CHRISTMAS STYLE
Jigsaw it up, Christmas style and watch the magic happen with seniors this Christmas.
Doing Jigsaw Puzzles and riddles with your loved one can help them by creating associations between both the cerebral halves of their brain. Joining the pieces entails the use of different types of memories.
By working on a jigsaw puzzle, your loved ones can stimulate their critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Finishing a puzzle will improve their cognitive functioning and give them joy and happiness. It also has therapeutic benefits. Buy a set of the kind of Jigsaw Puzzle you think you will be the most fun. Do it together with your loved one and see how much they will appreciate it.
3. PLAYING THE CLASSICS
Let us not forget how important the classics can be for not just seniors but everyone else.
Have a game-night once this holiday season with your entire family over at your place. Include your elderly loved ones as well and give them special attention. You can choose to play chess (something that is most fresh in their minds since, well, Chess was once a senior-citizens only game). If it is too challenging or time-consuming, not to mention boring, pick something fun (no offense to chess lovers).
Card games like UNO and Poker will be a lighter yet fun activity this Christmas. This one might sound a bit unsuitable, but Dumb Charades ought to be fun, too, with all the guessing and suspense. It will also be a treat for your senior loved one this Christmas!
4. WATCH HOLIDAY MOVIES TOGETHER!
You probably saw this coming a while back. Movies can top all other activities! So long as they are fun movies. Try your hand at some of those new Netflix holiday movies like Operation Christmas Drop. Since renting is pretty much the only option this time because of COVID, Netflix should be your go-to app for this. You could also try buying movies not available on Netflix or borrow DVDs from a friend or neighbor. Invite them over, too! The more, the merrier. If they have any senior loved ones, then yours could hang out with them.
Imagine a perfect movie night with your senior loved one in front of your smart screen, all bundled up on the couch streaming a fun movie. Priceless.
5. SING, SING, SING-A-LONG.
If you are one of those that owns a piano or some other instrument, a Christmas sing-a-long makes all the more sense. How is this one therapeutic for the elderly? Well, for starters, it will aid them in their memory recall and provide them a sort of speech therapy.
For a good sing-a-long, you need good music. Piano experts (and non-experts, too, give it a try!) this one’s for you: sheet music. It will be perfect for you to practice on the piano and polish up your rustiness. Famous artists like our very own Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor have Christmas albums that you can sing along to with the seniors and all your other guests.
THE LAST WORD
Our loved ones nurture us, and we grow with their care. We keep growing and fail to realize that as we grow up, they grow old. All they need is love, support, respect —and most importantly, time — from our end.
Shower them with all the love and support you can muster and pick your favorite fun indoor activity from the list above. Engage with your loved ones and entertain them. Make them feel special, heard, and a part of the entire affair. A few words of kindness, above all, can go a long way. A sweet kiss on the cheek or a warm, love-filled hug. These are small things that make a huge difference. Pairing them up with the activities above is bound to make this Christmas an amazing one.
We hope you enjoy Christmas this year and make your elderly feel loved. Happy Christmas in advance!
Team X-TREME HOME CARE
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