Find the perfect activities or hobbies for elderly men by looking to their past.
For numerous older men, who’ve spent a lifetime on a meaningful career, family, hobbies and interests, the concept of settling in for a day of crafting is, to say the least, unpopular. The secret to finding interesting activities and hobbies for elderly men is in first taking the time to dig back into the history of their lives to discover what captured their attention in the past, and then seeking out creative ideas to incorporate those ideas in their lifestyle today.
The team at At-Home Care Company loves getting to know the elderly men we serve and offering opportunities for them to enjoy life to the fullest! Listed below are some ideas which may work well for the patriarch in your family:
- Sports: For the sports fan, look into one of the many gaming systems that enable participation in numerous virtual sports right from home. When appropriate, check out area high school or college schedules and take your family member to games he most enjoys: baseball, basketball, football, swim meets, golf tournaments, etc. Or plan family gatherings around his favorite team’s games on TV, recreating a live sporting event atmosphere with specific foods (like hot dogs and nachos), team t-shirts for the whole family to wear, banners and flags for the kids to wave, and a lot of cheering, naturally!
- Outdoors: If your loved one was a passionate fisherman or a hunter, ensure he has lots of opportunities to be in nature or to watch nature programming. Many zoos and nature centers now have live web cams that allow people to watch animals in action any time of day or night. Consult your local parks to ascertain accessibility to fishing spots and boat rentals to find out if it’s practical for your senior loved one to experience some time on or by the water, or schedule a picnic in a wooded area and take pleasure in observing wildlife together. You can also check with organizations that assist individuals who are differently-abled, such as the National Association for Down Syndrome, which occasionally holds outdoor events in which a member is paired with an adult to provide assistance with fishing as well as other outdoor activities.
- Music: For individuals who played a musical instrument, sang with a band, or perhaps just enjoy tapping their toes to a certain genre of music, maintaining a connection to music is very important, and though it can be as easy as playing favorite songs and singing along, it could be made more engaging with a trip to a music store, attending a concert – again, local schools are a wonderful resource for musical performances, or hosting a talent show for family members who are also musically-inclined.
- Work: Retaining a sense of purpose is crucial for all of us all. Men who are retired teachers can volunteer to tutor or read to children through the library or school system; those who were proficient with tools can continue to paint, help build bird feeders or squirrel houses, focus on assembling model cars together with the grandkids. Those many years of knowledge can continue to benefit the next generation!
Contact At-Home Care Company for more tips to help the older men in your life stay active and involved in what interests them most or to learn more about our at home care in Ames and surrounding areas. Reach out to us today at 515-292-2650 to schedule a free in-home consultation to find out how our professional in-home caregivers can bring restored joy and purpose to each day for those you love.