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Creating Fun for Caregivers and Frail Seniors

Other ideas might be a quilt shop for a former quilter, a hardware store for the ardent handyman, the library, bakery, family style restaurant, plant store or flower shop. 

Fun at home

You don’t have to go out to have fun of course. Opportunities are right there in their home (or facility) to have fun and fight boredom. 

• Stage a sing-along to his/her favorite music. Play the music loud and clear. 

• Get all dressed up and take some photo portraits – use them for family gifts.

• Rent/borrow movies for slow afternoons – old ones, funny ones, scary ones.

• Have a deck of cards on hand and play the old familiar games – gin rummy, hearts, war.

• Scrabble is great fun with grandkids.

• Keep a puzzle going if you have a spare tabletop – people coming in always get engaged and stay to talk

• Get out of the room – visit other residents, attend sing-alongs, presentations, craft sessions, chair exercises lunch groups.

• Pull out a family album – get them to identify the older ones you may have forgotten and take notes or audiotape the stories you hear. Family photos trigger floods of memories.

• Pick a theme for the week or month. Decorate his/her room and door. It will bring people in to check it out and or conversation.

• Rearrange furniture and pictures – just for stimulation.

• Order in or pick up some favorite foods that aren’t on the regular menu – hot dogs for my mom, milkshakes for my husband’s dad.

• Manicures and pedicures are a special treat too. Have candy for drop-in guests and gifts for visitors – order on line; think about birthday and holiday gifts and ‘shop’ on line.

• Make up a Christmas, holiday or birthday wish list from the web – send it to family members. So think about what your loved one has always enjoyed, listen to what they talk about, look around your neighborhood and give it a try!!

Lynn Howe is a registered nurse, mostly retired, very interested in healthcare issues, health and wellness. Her mother, age 93, widowed for 10 years, has lived in an apartment, assisted living, nursing home and back to assisted living today. She truly enjoys stimulating, but brief outings, which continue to be fun (and meaningful) for all involved. Lynn has written one article about nursing home activities which was published in Nursing Home magazine as well as several articles for a Recreational Vehicle magazine about RV lifestyle issues.

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