It is a well-known fact that senior citizens have specialized needs now that they have reached their twilight years. Growing old packs with it a different set of challenges and sometimes, disabilities.
While we can take them to a community for senior assisted living in Phoenix, Arizona or wherever else is most convenient, what else can we do to make these years for our aging relatives more comfortable and enriched?
Here are five ideas.
- Check up on them. A simple phone call will do. No one expects us to make the trip to visit our parents every weekend (although that would do nicely, too). But because of transportation issues, not to mention how far you may be situated from them as well as your own calendar to consider, sometimes the best course of action to see if they are doing well and good is a simple phone call.
- Send a nice basket of food over. As mentioned, one common risk an aged person faces is the possibility of being malnourished, or simply, not eating enough. Whether they forget to eat, or simply cannot get themselves to go to the kitchen to prepare some food, our senior citizens need a little help in the nutrition department. Some oatmeal, fruits, a bar of dark chocolate, maybe? It all depends on what your senior citizens would love to eat. Have extra time in the kitchen? Make extra servings of your next meal and bring some over on your next visit.
- A handwritten note. A few of us can remember the last time we put a pen to paper. With today’s technology at our hands, it is much easier to tap out a text message or send one through social media. But there is something very therapeutic, not to mention beautiful and nostalgic about writing and receiving a handwritten letter. Our beloved aged relatives are from a different era and finding a note in the mail written by you is not only unexpected but will provide some pleasure.
- A surprise visit. Imagine the look on your parent’s faces when you drop by unexpectedly. Senior citizens are known to live in a somewhat isolated state, choosing to stay at home rather than participate in social activities that they may once have been active at. Apart from physical limitations, older people generally keep to themselves for one reason or another. Most of the day can be spent watching television or sleeping. Seeing another human being can make all the difference for them. So stop by for a chat or a cup of coffee. Human warmth is still unbeatable, especially during the colder months.
- Bring up the idea of a furry companion. We know how important companionship is to anyone, much more to a senior citizen. Days and nights can get cold and lonely. We cannot always be physically present to provide the warmth that is so important to human relationships but a pet dog or a cat can. More older people are finding out the benefits of taking care of a furry friend. Not only do they significantly cheer up people, but they also provide much-needed love, companionship and yes, loads of amusement.
They are our fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles or grandparents, family or friends who have gone beyond the springtime of their years and are in their so-called winter age. We want what is best for them and nourish them with the love and attention that they gave us when we were still young and under their care.
