I started this post two months ago. Here is an update!
My Mom is just shy (seriously - 2 weeks away) of 99 years old! She can still walk, keep up a conversation, read a little bit. Her eyesight is failing and her hearing, even with hearing aids, is iffy.
(For instance, I told her "Stop yawning. Or I'll fall asleep." She asked, "Why will you call the police?")
No matter. Mom and I have a lot of fun. Here are five of the things we do together.
1. Play simple card games. Mom can still play bridge. I can't. We play Skip-Bo, a game that just requires the players to count from 1 to 12- and keep track of piles of cards. If one of my siblings is in the house we can play Uno. You need to know your colors and numbers in THAT game.
2. Jigsaw puzzles. Mom's 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle days are long gone. She does like the large pieces of a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to be large enough for her to distinguish the edges. Here is a website that sells these larger puzzles.
3. Walk. Mom can walk with a cane. If your elderly person lives where there are pavements, walk slowly and warn of obstructions well in advance. We do .25 mile and .5 mile walks. We also drive to parks with well paved paths.
Taking wheelchair bound elders out to a park with well-paved paths works, as well, although it might be a little harder to manage.
4. Read. Mom is working on historical fiction right now but her eyes tire easily. I read out loud to her and we both get to enjoy the book. Parents with trouble keeping track of a plot might enjoy short story collections instead.
5. Chair exercises. This one is for me. I need the exercise, too. Video services like Youtube or Vimeo, carry lots of 10 and 15 minute exercise routines for people with limited mobility. Or for people who are out of shape and want to ease back into exercising.
6. Look at old photos together. I read that sharing old photos helps older people keep their memories. The snapshots can reawaken memories in people who have lost the ability to remember the past. It's worth a try.
7. Watercolors and coloring. My Mom likes watercolors. Me, not so much. One of my sisters gives Mom a line drawing and Mom adds watercolors to it. Mom is good at this. Coloring I can do. And so on rainy days Mom and I sometimes get out the pencils and the books. For people with poor eyesight, coloring pages with large areas and a minimum of narrow or small spaces to color are best.
Things to try!
Crafts: We have NOT done crafts but it is on my list of things to do.
Sing-alongs: Print out a few lyric sheets of songs your older person may enjoy. Then find a karaoke version on YouTube for background music.
Have fun with your old people for as long as you can.
