Elder Care Activities: Exploring the Past with a Game of Where Were You?

Elder Care in Bridgehampton NY

Keeping your parents’ mind sharp and slowing memory loss are an important focus of your elder care efforts with your loved ones, but there are only so many times that you can play the same card games or go through the same conversations with your seniors. Finding interesting and unique ways to stimulate their minds helps to keep their cognitive, memory, and critical thinking skills sharp while also boosting your relationship and making memories that will last you even after your care journey with them comes to an end.

One fun and interesting game that you can play that will foster conversations, encourage sharing, and get their minds working in complex ways that will support ongoing cognitive and emotional health and wellbeing involves recalling important moments in history and how they impacted your parents’ lives. Often called “Where Were You?” this game can be played in a variety of different ways to nurture memory recall and help all of you to learn more about each other.

Great for your parents to play with you or with their elderly health care services provider, this game encourages them to remember critical moments that they shared with each other and with the rest of the world.

Use these tips to get your parents’ minds working and work on building your relationship by learning more about each other and the experiences that you have had throughout your lives:

• Use a “this day in history” calendar. Whether you use an online version or a calendar you can hang on the wall or place on your desk, having a “this day in history” calendar is a fun way to get you talking about the important events throughout history each day. These calendars will remind you of historical events such as birthdays of notable people, battles, and even inventions from that day so that you can start talking with your loved ones about them. Read off the note on the date of the calendar and ask your parents if they remember that event, where they were when it occurred, and what impact it had on their lives.

• Watch history TV shows. There are several networks that focus on historical events. Sit with your parents and watch one of these shows. Talk throughout it about what they remember about the time, where they were when they first heard about the event, and what they remember about life after it happened.

• Guess the event. Try going in reverse when talking about important moments in history. Rather than asking your parents where they were when something happened, describe an event and its impact on the world, and have your parents try to guess what you are talking about.

• Share your own thoughts. While you are talking with your parents about their memories of these important moments in history, share your own memories about them. Talk about where you were when you heard about the major historical events of your time and how they impacted your life, and then compare these experiences with those of your parents so you can talk about how age, culture, and generation impacts the experiences.

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