(Jan. 22, 2009) — Winter is here, and the cold weather restricts many older people from going outdoors for exercise or entertainment. Caregivers are often faced with thinking of creative ideas to keep their elderly parent’s or spouse’s spirits high during the next few months.

Eighty-five percent of seniors who require daily assistance receive at-home care instead of help from a health care provider. This leaves millions of Americans looking for a way to provide their loved ones with stimulating and enjoyable activities — adding another role to their daily job and home responsibilities.

Caregivers may feel overwhelmed organizing activities for an elderly loved one. It can take a lot of time and patience to find an activity the person will enjoy. The Saint Barnabas Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, which support local affiliates Clara Maass Continuing Care Centers at Kearny and West Hudson, suggest caregivers resolve this challenge by adopting some of the strategies used by the nursing and rehabilitation center recreation professionals.

The right activities provide a wide array of intellectual, physical and social stimulants designed to alleviate boredom, enhance health and enforce feelings of success, skill and achievement. When you identify the activities a senior most enjoys, they become a part of your regular routine. This continuity satisfies your loved one and gives you peace of mind.

Below are some helpful hints for caregivers:

To keep a senior intellectually engaged:

• Reminisce with the person. Old photos and memorabilia help generate conversation and provide older adults with comfort and happiness.

• Play CDs or DVDs of old radio shows or music the person enjoys. Local libraries are a good resource for these items.

• Play trivia games or rent classic movies.

• Suggest fun and simple arts and craft, such as painting or sewing. For the less artistically inclined, a small easy-to-do kit from a local craft store works well.

• If you have access to the Internet, introduce your loved one to senior Web sites.

To meet an individual’s needs for physical movement and achievement:

• Have a physician recommend some simple exercise movements appropriate for seniors.

• Encourage the person to do most of his or her own grooming. This will provide physical activity while enhancing independence.

• Encourage your loved one to assist with chores. You may be surprised at the sense of freedom, responsibility and satisfaction a person feels from assisting with such tasks as folding towels, watering plants, setting the table or peeling potatoes.  

Encouraging socialization is an important component to any lifestyle:

• Invite friends over for afternoon tea.

• Identify and utilize other programs provided in your community, such as libraries, theaters, colleges, respite care or adult day care centers.

The Saint Barnabas Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers caution caregivers not to expect perfection from their loved ones. Your mother might not fold laundry like she used to or your father may not draw very well anymore. Don’t let it bother you. Instead, focus on the person’s enjoyment and his/her feelings of achievement.

It is also important to respect an individual’s preferences. If your loved one would rather watch TV or spend time alone, that really is okay. Recommend and suggest new things, but never force activities.

For more information about Clara Maass Continuing Care Centers at Kearny and West Hudson or the Saint Barnabas Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, call 1-888-SBHS-123 or visit www.saintbarnabas.com.