5 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an Elderly Loved One

Elder Care in Southampton, NY

Valentine’s Day is a great time to carve out some time for an elderly loved one. The fact is, a ton of money does not have to be spent to celebrate this holiday of love. There are a number of fun, heart-themed activities that can be enjoyable for everyone involved – especially a senior loved one.

1. Play some favorite music
Chances are a senior has a favorite tune or singer and regardless of if it is the 1950s rockabillies or the 1940s crooners, take some time to find their favorite and then host an impromptu concert. If possible, pull out their old 45s or even eight-tracks of the singers and get moving. Get the senior to get up and move and dance or just shake their booty in their chair. Invite other family members and friends to join in as well as their elderly care provider and serve everyone some heart shaped cookies, muffins and pink punch. It is a great way to spend the day together and have fun.

2. Do some baking
There are seniors who have more than a few family recipes to pass on to future generations. Take some time out of the day on V-day to cook up some sweet, heart shaped treats. Be sure to take a few safety precautions to ensure the senior does not get burned or hurt while cooking and try to use one of their recipes.

3. Play some heart themed games
Create some games with heart shapes. For example, Bingo can be used making homemade cards and heart shapes to cover up the squares. Instead of numbers, insert love sayings into all the squares. Another idea is to play tic-tac-toe with chocolate candies or cookies. If the elderly loved one has diabetes, then it is a good idea to choose sugar-free goodies.

4. Plan a fun-filled outing
Just because it is Valentine’s day, the activity does not have to be based around hearts. Plan an outing to the zoo, museum or other attraction that is found locally. Be sure to take pictures of everything that the elderly person does and who goes along for the adventure. These can be made into a book and used as a great memento for the person of the fun day they had. Another fun day would be to work on a scrapbook together. This is even something that a senior and their senior care provider could do together.

5. Plant a new tree or flower
Rather than purchasing a bouquet for a senior loved one, try to plant some flowers in their front yard or even a new tree. If they would prefer to have them indoors, consider purchasing some disposable pots and spending the day gardening. Not only will these last longer than a traditional bouquet, they will also remind the senior of the fun-filled day they had on Valentine ’s Day.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elder care services in Southampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.

Source
http://www.womansday.com/life/a4573/5-charitable