Activities to Keep Seniors Engaged During Visits from Family and Friends

Visits from family and friends are precious moments for seniors in assisted living communities and long-term care facilities. Not only do these gatherings provide an opportunity for meaningful interactions, laughter and creating lasting memories but also serve as a healthy way to keep our minds sharp and stimulated in our senior years. To make the most of these valuable times together, curate a plan of engaging activities ahead of time that you and your loved ones will find the most enjoyment in. In this blog, we explore a variety of ideas for all mobility levels that can help keep seniors engaged and enhance the quality of their visits with the ones they love most.

Arts and Crafts

Painting, drawing, or crafting are creative activities that offer an outlet for self-expression, encourage fine motor skills, and can result in beautiful works of art that make for cherished keepsakes. This is also a great time to gather the grandkids and engage in some fun art competition and make moments to remember the rest of their lives.

Storytelling & Reminiscence Therapy

Reminiscence therapy is known to benefit seniors by lowering blood pressure and reducing negative emotions. When family visits, feel encouraged to share life stories, experiences, and wise anecdotes that they will think of during their own life journey. This not only preserves personal history but also strengthens the bond between generations. Bringing out a memory box filled with items from the past such as old photographs, letters or family heirlooms is also a great way for loved ones to be more interactive in learning about your fondest memories.

Puzzles and Games

Who doesn’t like to laugh out loud and get competitive during a fiery match of Uno, Yahtzee or Bingo? Board games, jigsaw puzzles and card games are great for both cognitive stimulation and entertainment with family and friends. Don’t settle for a mediocre place to live when you can have a tight-knit community that knows how to make life fun!

Gardening

In your senior living community of choice, plan to spend as much time outdoors as possible as it renews the mind and refreshes the spirit. With family, friends or neighbors, you can sign up for gardening related activities, bring some potted plants or tools and spend time cultivating the landscape into something beautiful. Working the land is not only therapeutic but also a great way to connect with nature.

Nature Walks or Virtual Tours

In contrast to gardening, nature walks give us a more relaxing option to spend time outdoors. Some communities will offer opportunities for seniors, regardless of physical abilities, to enjoy the great outdoors. Wherever you are able to spend time exploring with loved ones, it’s important that your community offers that in any way possible.

Cooking & Baking

Food is one of the great binders between generations and dearest friends. Have some incredible recipes you want to pass down? Many senior living communities offer the chance to enjoy cooking classes or even opportunities to use the community kitchen to enjoy food with family and friends. Feel free to whip up that batch of cookies or bake a scrumptious cake and evoke wonderful memories in the process!

Movie Nights & Book Clubs

Regardless of how you and your family consume entertainment, there should be something for everyone to enjoy. From themed movie nights with plenty of popcorn to thought-provoking book club sessions full of witty anecdotes, there are many ways to bond with cherished ones, stimulate interesting conversations and keep our minds at their sharpest. Visits from family and friends are a source of joy for seniors, and planning and engaging in fun activities together can make these moments even more meaningful. When you find the community right for you that puts the health and happiness of residents first, it greatly enriches the quality of their lives and those of their loved ones, who can rest assured they are receiving the individualized, high-quality care they deserve.

Source: Fun Activities to Keep Seniors Engaged During Visits from Family and Friends (arborcompany.com)