The holiday season represents a wide range of emotions for anyone, regardless of age. Seniors, however, can feel an amplified sense of sadness as they remember friends and family they have lost or reminisce over “the way we used to spend the holidays.” If you have a senior loved one, there are many ways that you can celebrate the season together and bring back a sense of joy and magic. Consider these fun ways to spend time together and begin new traditions with children and grandchildren. Here are five of our favorite holiday activities for seniors.
Holiday Activities They Will Love
Help Them With Gift Giving: Many seniors become anxious that they can’t shop for gifts anymore, so help them in the process. One of the ideas we love is to help them make small gift baskets for grandkids from little items that don’t break the bank. If they like to bake, schedule a cookie-baking day and bring small decorative tins or foil gift bags to package their creations. Have a brainstorming session about their budget and thoughts, then help them bring it to life. Giving gifts over the holidays is a time-honored tradition, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or stressful. If your loved one is in assisted living or memory care, ask if there is anyone they would like to include in the fun.
Tour the Holiday Lights: Taking your loved one on a guided tour of the best holiday lights displays is a beautiful way to allow them to celebrate the season. Do some research – there may be official trolley tours, or your town may publish a guide to the best local viewing sites. Your family members can get out and walk if they can, but they can also view all the lights from the comfort of your vehicle. You may even wish to speak with the administration at their senior residence to see if a group excursion can be arranged.
Find Ways to Volunteer or Give: Few things bring us joy and contentment better than volunteering for those less fortunate. If your senior loved one has a favorite charity in town, look into ways they can volunteer over the holidays. If they can’t leave their facility (or feel uncomfortable doing so), help them to send cards to service members or bring them a couple of choices from a local angel tree. There are many ways to spread joy, even within their own community – you just may need to help them find them.
Take Them to a Pageant: Whether a ticket to The Nutcracker at the local ballet or an outing to see their favorite grandson play an elf in the school production – taking your loved one to a Christmas show or pageant is a wonderful way to celebrate the season. If you are going to plan an outing, be sure to take into account any accommodations you may need to make – for instance, a hard folding chair might be too uncomfortable to sit on for an hour, so you can ask ahead for a more comfortable chair – or bring a wheelchair if applicable.
Holiday Arts and Crafts: There are many fun ways to make holiday decorations – from gingerbread houses to ornaments or festive wreaths. You’ll need to collect the materials; then you can settle in for an afternoon of creating. This is an excellent activity for those in retirement communities or assisted living – so bring plenty so everyone can join in. (If you want to make it an official event on the calendar, speak to the staff.)
Most older adults are afraid of being left out during the holidays. But with just a little forethought into some fun holiday activities, you can ensure they have a meaningful, enjoyable, and memorable holiday season this year.
A Banyan Residence is an assisted living and memory care center located in The Villages.
