Holidays are a time filled with activities with family, friends, and coworkers. This holiday season can also be a time when people can feel added grief and sadness, especially if they don’t have family and friends close by. One of these groups is our senior population. Their family may have moved further away and friends might not be as mobile as they once were. Our seniors may have lost some of their physical and mental capacity for them to be able to participate in activities they once were able to enjoy. Whatever the reason, we’ve compiled activities that our seniors can enjoy this holiday season.
Activities to do at home
Watch a Movie: There are so many movies that are holiday favorites. Create a list of your favorite movies, pop the popcorn, bring out your favorite holiday snacks, and get ready for movie night. You may even want to have a movie marathon or pick a night out of the week to have movie night throughout the holiday season.
Bake a Family Favorite: Food is always a big part of the holiday season. Ask your family about their favorite holiday treats and dishes and set a date to make them together. As you cook and bake, share stories about people and times they have shared these holiday favorites in the past.
Photo Night: Pictures are a great way to capture moments and turn them into memories. Ask your family to bring old pictures and have them share about the people in the photos. After you have shared about the photos that were brought, have your own photo shoot to capture your time together and the memories made. You may want to take formal or informal pictures, but just remember to capture the moment.
Activities for getting out of the house
Attend Local Events: Your town and surrounding area will have several holiday events throughout the season and you don’t even have to plan them. Watch for banners outside of local organizations, search online, or call the city office to gather a list of activities that are going on in your area. Then show up and be ready to share time together.
See the Lights: Decorations and lights have been put up all over town, so why not drive around and take in all the lights and decorations that have been put up. Make sure you put on that holiday music in the car and take some hot chocolate along with you. Some towns even put together a one stop drive-through light show that are accompanied with music.
Serve Somewhere: The holiday season can mean even more when you are able to serve someone else. Charitable organizations and clubs and service centers are in need of extra help during the holiday season because they have more people asking them for help. Ask your favorite charitable organization how you can come and help them this holiday season.
As you consider these different activities for your seniors, think about how they may need to be altered due to physical and cognitive ability. If you need assistance in modifying your holiday activities for seniors, please feel free to contact us at 530-332-9699 or online.