As we age, our bodies under different changes. One common dilemma among elderly adults is the decrease in mobility. This makes it hard to move and engage in physical activities we used to enjoy. Limited mobility can stop one from living an independent life. But even the loss of mobility should not be enough reason to lose interest in living.
The pandemic caused older people to isolate themselves. This is since they are among the most vulnerable groups during the crisis. But all the isolation and lack of social engagement made seniors more lonely and stressed-out.
If you are currently caring for a senior loved one, their mental health is among your top priority. This becomes a daunting task especially if they now lose some mobility. Thankfully, you can encourage them to engage in fun leisure activities to keep them mentally ad socially engaged during the crisis.
There are many hobbies that won’t require your senior loved one a lot of movements. You can find one that suits their level of mobility and interest. Some fun but engaging hobbies you can do with them are as follows.
Quilting
If your senior loved one knows how to sew, why not buy them materials for quilting? The repetitive movements help one reduce stress while finishing a quilting project can help them enjoy a sense of accomplishment. You and your senior loved one can do different projects that you can give as presents or use ornaments around the house.
Seniors can boost and express their creativity in quilting even if they are still beginners. You only need to provide them with easy appliqué kits, so they can start quilting right away. As their skills grow, you can invest in bigger and more complex quilting projects.
Gardening
Do you have a yard? Then why not use the opportunity to create a small garden to give your senior loved a place to be around nature within your property line? They could use a little bit more sunshine each day and grow produce that is a lot healthier for them to eat.
You can create a disability-friendly garden by raised garden beds. Go for retractable hanging baskets. Make sure water taps, gardening tools, and the plants are near to make it easier for them to tend to plant.
Don’t let the lack of backyard space stop you and your aging loved one from gardening. You can always opt for indoor plants or build an indoor kitchen garden. This will be easier for them since most indoor plants require minimal care.
Exercise
Limited mobility is not enough reason for seniors to stop being active. There are a lot of exercises that are perfect for people with limited mobility. This will help them keep their bones and muscles strong and improve their balance along with the other perks of exercise.
Choose an exercise depending on your loved one’s abilities. They can use their mobility aids like their walker to do some balance exercises. If they are now tied in a wheelchair, some hand and arm exercises would be an ideal choice.
If you have a pool, they can do gentle workouts in the water. Water makes it easier for them to move without exerting much effort. Just make sure you have someone with you to help them safely get in and out of the water.
Creative Activities
Studies show that art helps boost physical and mental wellness. Your senior loved ones can express themselves better by letting their creativity do the talking. Thankful, most arts only require one’s eyes and hands along with their preferred medium.
Your loved one can choose creative activities depending on their interests. But one sentimental activity almost everyone loves doing is creating scrapbooks. You can provide them with different materials and print their old favorite photos with family and loved ones to reminisce the past.
Seniors are mostly sentimental. So, make sure to curate items, trinkets, and pictures that will put them into a nostalgic state. This will help bring back good memories that they may have long forgotten.
If you can find old photos from their photo albums, you can ask a professional to restore and repair the pictures. With today’s technology, even antique photos can have a new life. You can even have a picture of your loved one look new by using apps that will give color to black and old photos.
They can use these to create a scrapbook. Everyone in the family including friends would be delighted to find old treasures. Your loved one may have pictures on the computer and phone, but nothing can beat the nostalgia that real photos and scrapbooks can bring.
There are so much more activities seniors with limited mobility can engage in while quarantining. It is crucial that you help your senior loved one happy and engaged. This will help boost their mental health and ensure their physical health is also well-taken cared of.
