Holiday Season Senior Care Tips
The holiday season is just around the corner, what an exciting time of year! Many seniors look forward to spending time with friends and reconnecting with family. Surprisingly, the number of elderly travelers between November and December increases significantly as seniors make short and long-distance trips to engage with others. In this brief article we’ll offer up some tips you may use to help care for your loved ones.
Show Compassion
The holidays represent a special time for the seniors in our community and it’s critical that we consider their requests seriously. We encourage caretakers to value longstanding traditions and share ideas for involving the whole family.
Communicate with Doctors
This is an excellent time of year to communicate with doctors and to perform regular checkups. Travel plans and dietary changes should also be discussed; however, the scope of the discussion should also involve preventative care. If you are currently responsible for caring for a senior, remember that most care situations are additive; care and support must be increased over time.
Besides general well being, mobility should be the number one priority for caregivers. Physical therapy is an important tool for improving senior independence. Leverage on-location therapists to help regain confidence in day to day activities and navigate difficult areas. Does your senior rely on mobility devices? Keep in mind that dependencies quickly form among the elderly and to keep their mobility a top priority.
Entertainment
Caring for seniors can be tough work but it can be fun, too! Instead of sitting idle between tasks, free time can be used to play games, watch movies, listen to music, and more. A fun activity to get seniors engaged is to help them build a playlist of songs which they can jam to whenever they want. Music has been shown to energize seniors and makes traditionally quiet people communicative again! In the spirit of the holidays, create specially crafted holiday playlist or choose from the pre-created lists offered by most music providers.
Services like Spotify, Pandora, Soundcloud, and YouTube have both free and paid versions to satisfy most music needs.
Hydration
Don’t forget the importance of hydration! Drier conditions and increased activity demand more from our bodies. Although the body’s water content decreases with age the consequences of dehydration are much greater.
Drinking water first thing in the morning, before bed, and during meals is a great way to keep the body hydrated. The standard 8 cups of water a day should be the target for most seniors.
Maximize Engagement
Facilitate engagement between seniors to keep them engaged during a time when friends and family matter most. A sense of belonging is important to everyone, no one should be lonely during what is considered the happiest time of year for many.
These tips survey a wide variety of themes surrounding senior care and may be tailored for specific individuals. Whether your efforts of care support loved ones or client patients, your efforts are much appreciated!
