When it comes to holidays, it is important for us to get together with our loved ones and enjoy our time together. However, due to health issues, or due to being frail because of age, older adults may not be able to travel and see their loved ones that live further away. This means that there are many older adults that may spend the holidays by themselves.

Many older adults suffer from depression when they are isolated from their friends and family. This is because as people age, it becomes more difficult to do things and keep up with friends and family. Their kids become busier and may not be able to visit as much and so older adults become bored and not as excited about life. When they lose zest for life, they may be at risk of depression or worse. Therefore, it is important to continue interacting socially with our loved ones.

Holidays are coming and it is a great opportunity to get together with aging parents and grandparents. It is always best to visit them in person, but if it is not possible, make sure to set up a phone call via FaceTime or another app such as Zoom where you can talk uninterrupted.

You can help your loved ones feel less lonely by connecting with them often and making sure to keep your relationship meaningful over time.

Here are some ideas for activities to help you connect with your elderly loved ones:

• Remember old memories with them: Sit with your parents or grandparents and ask them to show you old photo albums and look through them together. You can engage with them by asking questions about the pictures such as where they were taken, who took the picture and what they can tell you about that day. You can ask other questions as well to make it more interesting.
• Create keepsakes together: Get together with your elderly loved ones and create a keepsake you can pass on to your kids. You can also use a recording app on your cell phone to interview them about different memories or stories you would like to keep for yourself. You could do this activity regularly and they will for sure look forward to it.
• Make it a teaching experience: If there is a family recipe you would like to learn to make now is the time to do so. Also, if your elderly loved one has had a great career, you can ask them to be a mentor for a younger member of the family. This will help them feel like they are needed and can help.
• Make sure to get together: Get together with your elderly family members and cook together. Bake and decorate cookies or help them send out holiday cards. This will help you create meaningful connections with your loved ones and create new memories as well as share some old memories with them.
• Play board games: If you haven’t gotten together with your family in a while, playing board games is a great way to connect with them. They are a great icebreaker, and everyone can share in the experience no matter the age. It’s a great way to share jokes and promote healthy competition.
• Avoid or limit technology use: Make it a point to be present as opposed to being on your phone. Make sure to use the quality time you have with your parents and grandparents. You can have your kids ask your parents or grandparents about your childhood memories or they can show them old pictures and talk about them. Engage everyone in conversation and share as much as possible. The kids will learn about things they didn’t know, and your elderly family members will get great benefit from socially interacting with you and your kids.

Assisting Hands Home Care offers non-medical home care to seniors and adults with disabilities in Fort Worth, TX, and the surrounding areas. If you need senior care for your loved one, we can help. You can rest assured that your loved one will get proper care as our caregivers are trained and licensed. They will care for your loved one with professionalism and compassion so they can remain in their home safely.

For more information on our elderly care services make sure to give us a call at (817) 646-2970 to schedule a free in-home consultation. We will send a staff member to meet with you and your loved one and assess their needs. Then we will create a care plan based on those needs and schedule a caregiver to provide them with the needed care. The care plan is adjustable as their needs may change over time and we are glad to adjust it as needed. Reach out to us today for professional senior care in Fort Worth, TX, and the surrounding areas.