Staying active provides older adults with mental and physical stimulation that can boost their cognitive skills and overall health. Therefore, you should encourage your senior loved one to take on everyday activities that are fun and stimulating. Below are several good hobbies for seniors to do daily and the benefits of each one.
1. Reading
The hobbies your loved one takes up should engage his or her language, thinking, and focusing skills. Reading is an everyday activity that can reduce boredom and give your loved one something purposeful to do, and learning is a fun way to boost cognitive health.
This activity can also increase socialization for seniors who are members of book clubs. Although book clubs don’t meet every day, your loved one will need to read the chapters and take notes or prepare questions to share at the next virtual or in-person meeting.
2. Cooking
Preparing nutritious meals can help your loved one stay in shape and have something meaningful to do. Simplify the activity by finding easy yet delicious recipes for your parent to prepare.
Cooking can prevent your loved one from eating foods that negatively impact his or her mental, emotional, and physical health. As a result, your loved one can lower the risk of age-related conditions and boost his or her quality of life.
A professional caregiver can help your loved one plan and prepare nutritious meals. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of homecare services. You can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide an individualized care plan to meet your elderly loved one’s unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can boost cognitive health and delay the onset of dementia.
3. Gardening
Seniors who garden can grow healthy foods and spices to use for meals, or they can plant flowers and trees that stimulate their senses. Gardening is a wonderful way to get your loved one out of the home and into nature. Merely being in the garden can boost mental health and increase the production of endorphins.
4. Exercising
Moving around is crucial for seniors because it works out the muscles, which leads to better balance and less joint pain. Exercising can also prevent cardiovascular problems, such as strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease.
Your loved one could join a local gym or sign up for dancing courses or yoga classes. These everyday activities could keep him or her socially active and increase mental stimulation.
If you usually help your loved one exercise but need a break now and then, consider having a professional caregiver take over for you. Philadelphia respite care professionals can assist seniors with a wide array of daily tasks, offering family caregivers the chance to focus on other personal responsibilities or take a break to prevent burnout. Whether it’s for a few hours a day or a few days a week, respite care is the perfect solution for family caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed.
5. Volunteering
After retirement, seniors need to maintain social networks, and a meaningful way to socialize is to volunteer at a library, a local community center, or an animal shelter. Volunteering can increase socialization and give seniors something positive to look forward to each day.
The type of work your loved one takes on shouldn’t be stressful or too physically strenuous. The objective is to have fun and be of service to others without exerting too much energy.
6. Singing
Singing is an excellent everyday activity for seniors living with neurological disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s because the music memory goes relatively undamaged at all stages of these conditions. When seniors sing, they can exercise their mouth muscles and reduce the risk of eating problems, such as difficulty with chewing or swallowing. Singing is beneficial for aging adults because it gives them something meaningful to do and can enhance their mood.
In Philadelphia, in-home care agencies can be a great boon to seniors. With the help of the caregivers at Home Care Assistance, your aging loved one can lead a happier and healthier life. We offer a revolutionary program called the Balanced Care Method, which encourages seniors to eat nutritious foods, exercise and socialize regularly, and focus on other lifestyle factors that increase life expectancy. To talk to one of our friendly Care Managers and create a customized senior care plan, call us at (215) 645-4663.