Aging In Place Archives - Page 3 of 6

Do you need home care? Or is it home health care you need?

Even though people have historically used these terms interchangeably, they are not.

You are probably doing the research and finding it overwhelming.

Which one do you need? What does each entail?

You’re in the right place!

In today’s post, we will look at home care versus home health care, what each one of them means and what you can expect depending on the path you need.

The Difference

Home care

Home care focuses on helping you or your loved one to age in place. As more people age and more choices become available, people want to be able to continue to stay in their homes instead of going to live in a nursing home or assisted living community. The benefits of choosing a professional home care agency that sends home care aides to your home include:

- You receive personalized care and assistance. Nobody is rushing off to help someone else.
- You can get help with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing up and toileting.
- Depending on the home care agency, you can also get transportation assistance.
- Light-housekeeping is also something you would be able to enjoy with the right home care agency.
- Companionship – Need to go to the store, a home care aide can help with that.

And so essentially, home care allows you to enjoy your life they way you’ve lived it for years…but with extra help so you can get it all done.

It is important to know that while home care aides typically have some training, they are not medical professionals and so cannot perform those duties.

If there is a medical condition for which you or your loved one needs the corresponding medical care, home health care is the choice you would make.

Home Health Care

Home health care is an excellent choice for you or your loved one if you have a medical condition that requires it and a doctor prescribes it.

That’s right.

In most states, you need a doctor to prescribe home health care in order to get it.

In this instance, you will most likely to be interacting with healthcare professionals such as registered nurses, physical therapists and certified nurses’ aides.

With home care, you can expect the following types of care:

Medication administration
Wound care
Physical therapy
Medical equipment monitoring
Nursing care – a registered nurse under the direction of a medical doctor will set up a plan of care for people recovering from an illness or who need in-home medical monitoring
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Medical social services – A medical social worker may be assigned to a case to be the case manager. In this case, they will help to coordinate all the services you or your loved one needs.
Nutritional support
Pharmaceutical services

And this is just a handful of services you can receive when you receive home health care.

As you can see, home health care is involves a lot more than home care.

How do I know if I need home care or home health care?

If you have recently been admitted to the hospital or had surgery and need extra care at home to help you recover, you will most likely need home health care.

Home health care is usually a short-term solution unlike home care which could be a long-term arrangement.

On the other hand, if you just need the type of care that allows you to continue thriving in your home and need minimal medical assistance, home care is the choice for you.

I hope this will be helpful to you and clarifies which type of care; home care and home health care; you might need.

“Check on your friends who are caring for their aging parents. We are not okay.”

This was a post a Facebook friend of mine created recently.

This friend is in her late twenties and is currently caring for her parents.

Her statement made me sad, however, her situation is very common.

According to the National Alliance on Care-giving and the AARP, 48% of caregivers are between the ages of 18-49 years old.

You’d like to enjoy your youth but at the same time, you have the responsibility of taking care of a loved one who depends on you.

What should you do?

How do you cope?

In today’s post, I’ll discuss some of the steps you can take to ensure you’re taking the best care of yourself while caring for your loved one.

Caring for the caregiver – Tips for younger caregivers

Join a support group

Whether you realize it or not, we all need support. We all do.

And especially when the responsibility of caring for an aging loved one is one you bear.

So look for support communities both online and offline where you can interact with other people going through the same things.

You will find resources in these communities you never knew about.

Plus there is the potential to form meaningful relationships that will help your mental health.

Speak to a counselor or therapist

Seeing a counselor or therapist does not mean there is something wrong with you.

Just like you get regular check ups for your physical body, it is good to get regular check ups for your mind as well.

This is where a trained mental health professional like a counselor or therapist can help you.

While there are several frameworks a mental health professional can guide you through, it does help to know that there is someone you can chat with about what you’re going through emotionally.

Look for resources from your local and state governments

Your local and state governments may have resources you can tap into.

As a caregiver, your ability to take certain jobs could greatly affect how much money you can make.

This can definitely put a financial strain on the family and be stressful.

Your local and/or state government may have resources like respite (so you can take some time off for yourself) or financial incentives for people like you. It’s worth doing your research on these types of resources.

Discuss your situation with your boss

It doesn’t hurt to discuss your situation with your boss and come to an agreement about what your work hours and responsibilities should be.

During this time, you may still need to depend on your job for an income to support yourself and your loved one.

Remote work is becoming more and more acceptable in the workplace.

If your work is something you can carry out from home, discuss it with them.

If remote work is not something they’re willing to consider, how about switching your hours?

Here’s the deal: if there is anything that can be done about your work situation to support your caregiver role, don’t hesitate to ask.

You just never know what could come out of that conversation.

What financial provisions does your aging loved one have? Find out.

Do they have a retirement fund? A savings account? Some other financial investment that could support your care-giving role?

How about healthcare plans like Medicare and Medicaid?

Ask your loved ones and work with them so that you can use this money to support them as well.

Take time out to do things for yourself.

I know.

This suggestion is a difficult one.

Between your work life and taking care of your loved one at home, where are you supposed to find the time to take care of yourself?

This may require some creativity on your part.

You may ask a friend or another family member to help out.

You could depend on respite services for help.

Or you could hire a professional home care service like our care aides at Green Tree Home Care to help you out.

Whichever path you choose, you have to realize that doing things for yourself will rejuvenate you so you can be a better caregiver.

Those are my tips for younger caregivers.

Are you a younger caregiver? Do you know someone who is? Did you find these tips for younger caregivers useful?

Share this post with someone so they know they’re not alone.

The weather has gotten colder!

And even though we don’t get snow like most of the East Coast, we’re experiencing our share of cold weather.

As a caregiver, it’s important to be prepared for this weather as well as watch out for any cold-related illnesses like pneumonia.

Adults over the age of 65 are more likely to get pneumonia.

The good news is that, it can be prevented.

In fact, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends two pneumococcal vaccines for adults older than 65.

CDC’s suggestions are to:

Get a dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) first. Then get a dose of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) at least 1 year later.
If you’ve already received PPSV23, get PCV13 at least 1 year after receipt of the most recent PPSV23 dose.
If you’ve already received a dose of PCV13 at a younger age, CDC does not recommend another dose.

In today’s post, we’ll take a look at what you can to do prevent pneumonia.

Pneumonia in the elderly

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that is caused by various micro-organisms including pneumococcal bacteria and the influenza virus.

The micro-organisms are more likely in thrive in an immune-compromised system.

When a person has a comprised immune system, they are not able to fight off infections easily. In those instances, any bacteria or virus present begin to multiply vigorously and this ends up in disease.

One of the environmental factors that can compromise a person’s immune system is the cold weather outside.

And when you add other risk factors such as age and other pre-existing health conditions, pneumonia becomes a scary prospect.

Thus as a caregiver, it is important for you to be on the look out for your loved one so that you can prevent it.

Steps to prevent pneumonia this season

Make sure your loved one is up-to-date on their vaccines for pneumonia and influenza. As I mentioned above, the CDC recommends it for people above the age of 65.
Make sure your loved one has warm clothes to wear during the colder parts of the day.
Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contributes to pneumonia. Thus, it’s important to stay away from cigarette smoke or encourage your loved one to quit smoking.
Ensure that heating is working in your loved one’s home. In San Diego, the nice weather makes most of us forget about heating for our homes. However, it’s important during the colder months. A space heater can be a temporary solution but the sooner you are able to provide heating for your loved one, the better.
Other people are sick during this season, wash your hands regularly if you will be around anyone who is sick.
If your loved one has on-going medical issues such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, it is important to manage it properly. These existing medical conditions can compromise the immune system and contribute to severe pneumonia.

Pneumonia in the elderly is serious enough that the CDC has recommendations regarding it.

Thus as a caregiver, you cannot take it lightly. Taking the steps I’ve outlined above will help your loved one stay healthy this season and will ultimately save you and your family from needless medical costs.

Did you find this post on pneumonia in the elderly helpful?

Make sure to spread the word!

While elderly incontinence is common, it is not a normal health condition.

In fact, because it is so common, people will not see a doctor or health practitioner until it’s too late.

In today’s post, we will go into why you should see a doctor about you or your loved one’s incontinence and what you can do to manage the condition.

Let’s delve right into it.

Incontinence defined

What exactly is incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine.

According to the National Association of Continence, over 33 million people struggle with incontinence.

If you or your loved one are going this right now, it can feel embarrassing.

It is also common for people to feel like they have lost control when they’re faced with incontinence.

But, the good news is that, incontinence can be managed and even treated if you take the right actions.

Causes of incontinence

Urinary incontinence can be caused by several factors including:

Stress – For people who have weak muscles in their urinary tract, coughing, sneezing or constipation could cause incontinence
Weak bladder muscles
Enlarged prostate
Prostate cancer
Childbirth – Women who have had complications of childbirth or had many children may struggle with incontinence.
Infections in the urinary tract
Surgery – Certain surgeries that involve the bladder, prostate or a part of the urinary tract can lead to incontinence as well.
An obstruction along the urinary tract may also lead to incontinence. This obstruction could be a tumor or a urinary stone.
Neurological disorders can also lead to urinary incontinence. Conditions like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury can affect the action of nerves in the urinary tract and that can lead to incontinence.

Why you should see a doctor about elderly incontinence

As you may have deduced from the above, it’s important to see a doctor so they can rule out any serious cause.

Thus, my advice to you is that the moment you or your loved one notice incontinence, make plans to see your primary health practitioner. They will then likely refer you to a urologist or geriatric doctor.

If it is a tumor, your loved one may need to undergo treatments.

If it is an infection, antibiotics can be prescribed to deal with the issue.

For older adults that have chronic urinary incontinence or who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, behavioral therapy may prove helpful in helping to control the condition.

Whatever the case is however, if you or your loved one is struggling with incontinence, don’t think you have to struggle alone.

Talk to your doctor and plan a course of action.

Managing elderly incontinence

Talk to someone. It is hard to navigate big changes like urinary incontinence for your elderly loved one.

It’s important to be honest about those feelings and talk to somebody about it.

Also, get the right supplies. These days, you have access to a wide array of incontinence products on the market. In fact, there are products that feel just like underwear but which will keep your loved one dry. There are also special bedding supplies that will help keep your loved one dry at night. Talk to your local medical supplier about what will suit your family’s needs the best.

Remember to keep them safe. A urinary accident can lead to a small puddle that can cause falls. If your loved one is not comfortable using adult diapers, create a communication system so that it can be cleaned up quickly.

And don’t forget to continue to provide excellent perineal care.

Make it easy for your loved one to travel to the bathroom when there’s a need.

If your loved one has prescriptions for incontinence, it’s important that you encourage them to follow the regimen to prevent further complications.

Was this post helpful?

Help us spread the word by sharing it.

What is Dowager’s hump? And how can you prevent it?

Dowager’s hump is the slightly rounded hump you might observe at the back of an person’s neck. Dowager’s hump can happen irrespective of age and while both men and women develop it, we mostly see it in women.

Sometimes people call this a “roundback” or in more severe cases, a “hunchback”.

The medical term for Dowager’s hump is kyphosis.

Kyphosis is caused by continual curving of the spine towards the front of the body.

And so daily activities like being hunched over a computer all day at work or doing work that involves bending the neck excessively can cause the condition.

Another cause of kyphosis is osteoporosis; a condition which predominantly affects women.

It may also be a congenital problem.

For most people who develop kyphosis later on in life, it is most likely due to bad posture or osteoporosis.

In most instances, kyphosis is painless.

For some people however, it is painful.

And even for those with painless kyphosis, a severe spinal curvature can cause other problems later on in life.

So what can you do about it?

How can you prevent or even reverse Dowager’s hump?

That is what we’ll be covering in this post.

How to prevent Dowager’s hump in the elderly

Avoid bad posture

For most of us, work is unavoidable.

Mechanics, nurses, teachers and office workers all have to do some kind of work that involves bending the neck for long periods of time.

So avoiding work is definitely not an option.

However, there are exercises you can practice on a daily basis to prevent the eventual problem of kyphosis.

Examples of exercises you can do are as follows:

Stand up and stretch at least once an hour to take the stress off those neck and back muscles that you’ve been engaging.
Extend your neck backwards and turn it from side to side to get rid of the pain that comes with bending over for so long.
With the help of a physical therapist or a fitness professional, you can learn how to do push-ups to relieve some of the pressure on your back.

General exercise also helps to keep your muscles and bones healthy.

A healthy diet helps

A balanced diet that delivers all the necessary nutrients to your body is key to a healthy body.

For people who are more prone to osteoporosis, this will mean that you eat meals that are high in calcium in Vitamin D.

A diet that contains a lot of fruits and vegetables is also helpful.

Doctors have found that the phosphoric acid in certain sodas for instance can cause brittle bones. Tea and coffee seem to have similar effects at high levels. This can make a Dowager’s hump worse. So, if you can avoid drinking sodas excessively, this will be helpful in the long run.

If you’ve already developed Dowager’s hump, it’s important to realize that even though you may be doing all the exercises and taking the right steps, it will still take a while to see improvements.

Don’t get discouraged.

Continue to practice good posture, practice exercises that strengthen your back and neck and maintain a balanced diet.

Doing this things can prevent and even reverse Dowager’s hump.

Did you find this post useful?

Help us spread about Dowager’s hump in the elderly.

How long does it take to pass a kidney stone?

Kidney stones are painful. There are no two ways about that.

And if you’re currently experiencing it, then you’re wondering when you’ll be free of this nuisance.

While there is no hard and fast rule as to when a kidney stone will pass, there are a number of things you can do as an individual or as a caregiver to help your loved one get rid of a kidney stone.

Passing a kidney stone – How to speed the process along

Regardless of the size of a kidney stone, it is important to report to a doctor immediately so they can help determine the best course of action. If the stone is small enough, the doctor might send you or your loved one home with instructions to drink more fluids so the stone can pass. Once they determine it is a large kidney stone, there are medical procedures that can be used to break up or remove the stone.
If your doctor determines that the stones are small enough to be passed, they will recommend that you drink more fluids. One of the causes of kidney stones is dehydration. If your body doesn’t not have enough water to dissolve the salts and minerals in your body, it can lead to kidney stones. So drinking a lot of water will help that stone pass quicker.
Pain medication. Kidney stones are painful. Pain killers can help to reduce the pain so you can move around and perform your daily activities. Moving around could also help with breaking apart the stones and help you or loved one pass the stones easily.

Passing a kidney stone: Special circumstances to pay attention to

Even if you’ve seen a doctor previously and you notice that your urine is cloudy, you should go again.

Cloudy urine indicates that there is an infection.

If a medical professional does not treat the infection, sepsis (the spread of bacteria through the body) can happen. Sepsis regularly causes death.

Thus, cloudy urine should move you to action immediately.

So how long again?

According to the American Urological Association, once a kidney stone makes it way to the urinary tract, it will pass within 2 days.

However, it is not unusual for a kidney stone to take up to 40 days to pass.

Was this post helpful?

Share it with someone who needs it.

Our feet carry us our entire lives.

On top of that, as we age, various health problems arise-diabetes, joint problems, heart issues-to name a few.

It is therefore no wonder that people develop problems with their feet in their old age.

As a family caregiver, one of the best things you can do for an elderly loved one is to help them get proper foot and nail care.

In today’s post, we will go over how you can provide excellent foot and nail care to your elderly loved one.

Let’s delve into it.

Foot and nail care for the elderly

Get to know your podiatrist

Podiatrists are trained medical professionals who diagnose and treat all kinds of foot illnesses. They can also take care of seemingly regular foot and nail problems like thickened nails that are hard to cut and bunions.

Your feet and nails can be an indicator of other health problems. A podiatrist may help catch the health issue before it becomes a problem.

My mom-in-law recently had a painful ingrown toenail while she was visiting us recently.

We had a podiatrist take a look at her foot and he was able to resolve the issue quickly.

So get familiar and friendly with your podiatrist and save yourself and your family from expensive problems later on.

Inspect feet daily

This way, you will notice any abnormalities in how your loved one’s feet look.

Wash and moisturize the feet daily

Keep dirt and nasty microbes away from your loved one’s feet by washing them each day.

For most people, the feet tend to dry up quickly. Thus it is also helpful to use a moisturizer after washing.

I especially love petroleum jelly for my feet because it keeps dryness away longer.

Keeping the feet moisturized will not only protect your loved one’s feet from dryness but will also keep blisters from forming.

After washing, keep the feet dry

Bacteria and fungi love to hide and grow in warm and damp areas of our bodies.

You don’t want these to become an issue as they are hard to treat!

(I know this to be true from personal experience as well.)

So after washing your loved one’s feet, use a towel to dry their feet completely.

Some people go ahead and use foot powders to keep the moisture away.

If a podiatrist approves, this can be another way to keep your loved one’s feet nice and dry.

A nail file to keep nails straight

A good way to prevent ingrown toenails is to make sure you’re cutting nails straight across.

Even if you use nail clippers to cut a majority of your loved one’s nails, it is always helpful to finish off with a nail file to keep the nails straight.

Wear proper-fitting shoes

Ill-fitting shoes only cause pain and can lead to problems with the bones and ligament in the feet.

Avoid them!

If your loved one needs orthotic shoes, a quick Google search in your area or calls using the Yellow Pages should yield a place where you can go and get your loved one fitted for the right shoes.

Diabetic foot care

If your elderly loved one has diabetes, they need special foot care.

The first step to taking care of a diabetics foot is to make sure their diabetes is under control.

This includes, checking blood sugar, regular exercise, healthy diet choices and visits to the doctor to make sure any prescribed medication is working.

In addition to the tips I shared above, it is also important that diabetics wear protective foot wear at all times.

For most diabetics, a small cut to the foot will go unhealed and could become an even bigger problem that can lead to infections and even amputation. Thus wearing shoes or socks, at the very least, is essential for a diabetic.

For more tips on diabetic foot care, check out this post.

Arthritis and foot care

If your loved one has arthritis, they will most likely be in a lot of pain all the time.

Their doctor will prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce the symptoms of disease.

It’s important to stick to this regimen so your loved one can live a functional life as much as possible.

Following the general tips above for a loved one with arthritis will help them enjoy healthy feet as well.

Don’t go to nail salons you don’t trust

As much as nail salons can be a wonderful experience, for your loved one with an existing health condition such as diabetes, it is always important to be careful.

You can call ahead and let the nail salon know for instance that your loved one has a health condition that affects their feet and find out if they can accommodate that.

Otherwise, I recommend sticking to a podiatrist for foot care especially if there is an underlying health issue.

Did you find this post helpful?

Share it with someone else looking to provide excellent foot and nail care to their loved one.

There’s a lot of anxiety around getting a hospital bed at home.

For most, the first thought is “how much will a hospital bed cost us?”

You might even wonder if your loved one needs a hospital bed at all when they have a perfectly fine regular one.

These are all valid concerns.

However, it’s important to realize that for your particular situation, a hospital bed at home may be just the thing your loved one needs.

Here are some advantages you might want to consider when it comes to getting a hospital bed at home.

Ease of transfer

For your loved ones who are completely immobile, a hospital bed can be a great advantage.

What do I mean?

In order to prevent bed sores and to perform tasks like perineal care and bed baths, you will need to move your loved one.

In a traditional bed, this can be challenging especially since most beds are low. Because of the height of traditional beds, transferring and moving your loved one can put a lot of strain on your knees and back.

A hospital bed on the other hand has adjustable heights.

Thus, you can adjust the height to a safe level and move your loved one in a safe manner.

It is also easy to raise the head or raise the bottom of the bed depending on your loved one’s medical needs.

Hospital bed at home-Safety

Another advantage of getting a hospital bed is for safety purposes.

Most traditional beds don’t have railings on the side that prevent your loved one from falling.

Hospital beds on the other hand do.

Furthermore, just like you could raise the hospital bed when you’re moving your loved one, you can also lower these beds.

A bed that is lower to the ground will keep your loved one from getting severely hurt if they do fall.

Hospital bed mattresses are easier to clean

Hospital bed mattresses are typically easier to clean than a regular mattress.

Thus, if there’s a spill or accident where body fluids are spread on the bed, cleaning the mattress is easy.

You can move a hospital bed

Hospital beds usually have wheels.

If your loved one would like a change of scenery but would not like to get out of bed, this feature might come in handy.

Make it easier for hired caregivers

If you have agency caregivers who come in to take care of your loved one, take it from me when I say they will love you for getting your loved one a hospital bed.

It helps them do all of the above so your loved one is properly and safely cared for in their own home.

Paying for it

Cost is the biggest obstacle for most people when it comes to hospital beds.

Medicare Part B (medical insurance) will cover the cost of a hospital bed if a doctor prescribes that your loved one needs it at home.

You and/or your loved one would be responsible for paying 20% of the approved Medicare amount. After this, the Medicare deductible will kick in.

In order for this to happen, the doctor and the medical supplier will have to be enrolled in Medicare.

If your doctor and/or medical supplier is not enrolled with Medicare, the cost of the hospital bed will not be covered.

Thus, it’s important you make sure all these factors are aligned.

Was this post helpful?

Share it with someone else that might be thinking about getting a hospital bed for their elderly loved one.

You just found out you will be giving your loved one bed baths.

But you know nothing about bed baths.

And perhaps this is causing you a bit of anxiety.

I have good news for you-yes giving your first few bed baths will feel awkward. And that’s usually because giving one is brand new.

But once you get a hang of the basics, you might be able to give one in your sleep.

Well, maybe not.

But you get the point.

How to prepare to give a bed bath

There will be some emotion around it

There is always some kind of emotion around something new. If this is the very first time you’ve had to do this, you might feel nervous. Your loved one might be nervous too.

If this is your older parent, they might have feelings of sadness around not being able to take their own bath in a tub for instance.

It’s important to understand the emotions around this new thing so that you can adjust quickly and so you can find ways to help your loved one as well.

Get the supplies you’ll need

If you know ahead of time that you will be giving bed baths, now is a great time to get the supplies you will need.

I recommend storing all of the bed bath items into a small plastic basket/tub and saving it in a place you can access easily. This way, you don’t always have to frantically search for an item you need when it’s bath time.

You will need:

2-3 wash clothes
A basin of water
Soap/body wash, lotion, deodorant, dry shampoo/regular shampoo
2 large towel or lightweight blanket
Clean clothes

Let your loved one know it’s bath time

Right before bath time, let your loved one know that you’ll be giving them a bath.

If they currently have memory problems, it is helpful to mention it a few times before the bed bath actually happens.

You can do this as you gather the items you’ll need to give them a bath.

Protect their dignity

Always protect the dignity of your loved one during a bed bath.

You can do this by announcing in the house that your loved one is receiving a bed bath before it happens.

Make sure to close the door behind you while a bed bath is going on.

Close windows. If it is necessary, you might also want to turn on or increase the heat in the room so they don’t get cold.

Giving the bed bath

Wear gloves.
Fill the basin with warm water. Place the wash cloth in the warm water.
Place a few drops of body wash or rub soap on the wash cloth.
Place the towels or light weight blankets on the bed to catch any moisture.
Use the soapy wash cloth to wipe your loved one’s body. I like to start with wiping the face before cleaning other parts of the body.
Make sure to pay special attention to those parts of the body that are usually folded over such as the armpits and around the groin.
Perineal care is important and a bed bath is an excellent time to provide it.
After cleaning the part of the body that is not lying on the bed, you will need to turn your loved one over so you can clean the backside of their body. If you need a tutorial on how to turn a person who is bed-bound, watch this video. I highly recommend that you get help to turn them if they are completely immobile or obese.
Once you’ve wiped their entire body with the soapy wash cloth, you could change the water and do a second wipe down with just plain water.
Place a dry towel around their neck area and use dry shampoo or a small amount of shampoo to help them wash their hair. If you use regular shampoo, use a wet wash cloth wipe out all the shampoo from their hair.
Once the bed bath is over, apply lotion, deodorant and perfume (if they like that) to help them smell fresh.
Remove all wet clothes, towels etc from the bed and help your loved one put their clothes on.
Before you leave, make sure your loved one is comfortable in bed.

And just like that, you’re ready to give bed baths!

Liked this post? Share it with someone else who wants to help their loved ones.

Fall activity ideas for seniors, already?

Hard to believe that summer is almost over, isn’t it?

Well, summer being over doesn’t mean we cannot stay active and engaged.

Getting involved in fall activities is fun for the whole family,will help your loved one be engaged and will help everyone get some exercise!

That’s just too many benefits to ignore.

So let’s jump right in and learn of some fall activities to put on your calendar.

Fall activity ideas for seniors

Go fruit picking – Local farms in your area will be harvesting right about now and will be thrilled to have you come fruit-picking.
Get lost in a corn maze – This is definitely fun for the little ones but you will want to make sure to stay close to your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Go for a hayride.
Hit a local amusement park before it closes down for the season. And speaking of amusement parks, they usually have a lot of fun fall activities going on at the parks right before Halloween. Make sure to check those out.
Watch fireworks. This draws on the amusement park point above. They usually have shows you can watch for free if you’re willing to drive up close enough.
Take a hike. The weather is cooler and more conducive for taking hikes.
Try indoor mountain climbing. I always feel like this is a less dangerous alternative for those who love to take risks but who may not be physically up to climbing an actual mountain.

Even more fall ideas…

Take a drive through the country. Late evening drives are the best, aren’t they?
Make a meal together. Such a great memory-maker.
Grill outside while you still can!
Start an audio-book series that whole family can listen to.
Carve a pumpkin.
Go camping. Make sure this is safe for your elderly loved one. If they are prone to wander off, I would not recommend this activity.
Build a bonfire. Make sure to stay safe!
Find a natural water body and visit it. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls and the oceans always have a calming effect on people. At least it does on me!

And there’s 15 fall activity ideas for seniors!

Did you find this post helpful?

Share it with someone else who is looking for fall activity ideas for their loved one.

Newer Posts

Older Posts