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This is not always the case with everyone. Take the case of John who was a highly motivated worker as a young man and quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder, becoming Executive Director of a major import and export company. He had hundreds of people working under his direction. John was living what the Americans refer to as the "American Dream". He never gave it a second thought that he would long to engage in some form of activities with elderly loved ones who are in a similar situation to him.
Today, John, as a widower in his 70's sits deep in thought. He is by himself most of the time as his children are busy with their children, work and other responsibilities and he has lost touch with most of his friends. Unfortunately, he is lonely with not much to do.
Like John, aging people across the world suddenly find themselves in similar situations, wondering where the time has gone, as they find themselves in low-quality social environments. This can lead many of our elderly to fall into deep depression and loneliness.
Loneliness should not be confused with being alone because you can be lonely with hundreds of people around you every day; it's the quality of our social interaction that determines your loneliness. Modern technology has improved to allow for building and renewing relationships from miles away and can help reduce loneliness.
How can early signs of loneliness be detected in elderly ones? How can feelings of loneliness be minimized in the elderly, and what can we as caregivers do to make our patients' twilight years as enjoyable as possible?
What kind of activities can caregivers encourage their loved ones to partake in?
The need for mental and physical stimulation in children is well known, but it becomes even more necessary as we grow old. The brain, like body muscle loses its capacity if not exercised regularly.
Can you imagine the excitement when one of the 9 interactive activities with the elderly listed below, brings forward fond memories, and increases playfulness in your loved one?
As our parents age, they may feel that they have spent their entire life being a useful part of society, contributing to others in meaningful ways. As they out live spouses, friends and family members and find themselves cut off from the greater part of society, it is common for depression to rear its ugly head.
If your loved one has lost his beautiful and faithful wife of 50 years, his seemingly limitless time allows him mull over all these thoughts of the past leading to deep depression. As he systematically distances himself from activities and those around him, tactfully remind your care that there is absolutely nothing he can do to undo yesterday. Still, there is plenty he can do about tomorrow. Advancing age now brings the challenge of accepting help gracefully and of expressing gratitude sincerely.
Their grown children (part of the sandwich generation) are all married with their own busy lives tending to their jobs, children, and a host of other responsibilities. Without work or meaningful hobbies and activities to fill the day, our loved ones may stew in their loneliness which can cause further depression and bitterness. Encouraging volunteering could give them a chance to meaningfully participate with a cause they care about.
Armed with this information, you as caregiver need to help make life fun again. This can be accomplished through fun indoor activities like gentle yoga or tai-chi. Both of these are stimulating to the mind and help improve mobility and muscle strength.
Furthermore, Tai-chi or shadow boxing has long been recognized in the East as it reduces stress and anxiety and increases flexibility, balance and agility, which is key for prevention of falling in the elderly.
Caregivers, do not forget the importance of a little warm-up exercising before embarking on a strenuous exercise regimen. These can include arm circling for shoulders, ankle swirling and pelvis swivels for the hips. Walking for a couple minutes is also an effective warm up. This can turn out to be fun and puts your charge in a good mental frame of mind.
What about elderly ones with limited mobility due to conditions like stroke, arthritis, or injuries from falls? The CDC estimates that at least one in four seniors fall every year. Yes, there are activities to boost the mood of our less active elderly ones and help them stay engaged.
Do you have access to a swimming pool in your community? Many people with mobility issues find exercising in water especially beneficial as it aids your body and minimizes the risk of muscle and joint discomfort.
Crossword puzzles and reading is suggested as it improves memory and delays cognitive decline. Why not arrange for an in-house book club group as mentioned previously?
Elderly ones can also be encouraged to get in touch with their creative side, something they may have set on the back burner for years because their hectic lifestyle did not allow for it. Writing might have been something they always thought of doing, and as an elderly person, why not put your colorful past life down in writing for your grandchildren to read about. Memoirs like these can be printed out and shared with loved ones.
There is an array of other activities like knitting, crochet, painting as this will now help you decrease negative emotions and improve positive ones. Creating something can give them a sense of accomplishment even if it is not perfect. Honing a craft and improving at a task is a powerful positive motivator.
Avoiding watching the news, or if that is not possible, limit news intake. Up to 90% of news articles are negative. This is to keep people reading, watching, clicking. We see what we focus on and if your loved one is constantly consuming negative media, it will negatively effect their demeanor.
At times, their advancing age can be its own source of frustration as their abilities decline do to changes in strength and mobility. They may feel as sense of being a burden. Help your loved one change their focus to think about all the good they can still do.
A patient of mine once told me that even though she was blind and bed ridden, she could still have a positive effect on people by praying for them. Her outlook was great and allowed her to see the good in any situation.
There is a well-known saying, "no man is an island", so encouraging social activities is highly beneficial. Caregivers need to be aware that sometimes, due to limited hearing on the part of a patient, they tend to withdraw from people.
This can be corrected through a hearing aid as the positive benefits outweigh a bit of embarrassment. If a caregiver finds resistance on the part of a patient not wanting wear the hearing aide, suggest it is just like glasses. We will all need glasses as we age, hearing aides can improve quality of life like glasses.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing being enforced has not made life any better for our elderly ones. So the work of our overworked caregivers has taken on all kinds of new dimensions.
Children not being able to touch or closely interact with their elderly parents in this most crucial part of their lives is devastating. Scenes of elderly ones sadly waving through barriers at their relatives have been sad to observe. Studies are still in their infancy to let us know what kind of effect the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has had on our dear elderly ones.
Your active participation as a caregiver in the recommended exercise regimen will be as beneficial for your well being as it is for your loved one. So enjoy these fun activities with your loved one and improve every ones quality of life!
That's all for today.
Take care, keep mom safe and have a great day!
Winn
I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and have been working with the 70+ age group for over a decade. I will share my knowledge and experience to give you ideas to care for your aging parents. Read more >>