Elder Care: The Best Activities for Seniors
Seniors deserve to enjoy their golden years by staying active, alert, and engaged with others. To ensure that seniors in assisted living facilities thrive, various activities should be included in the facility’s amenities. Here are some activities for seniors that you should look for when choosing a facility for a loved one.
Physical Activities for Seniors
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reduced physical activity contributes to a loss of strength and stamina in elders. Therefore, physical activities for seniors are recommended. However, exercise or other physical activities must be modified to adapt to mobility impairments. Low-impact exercises are typically best due to increased risks of falls and fractures in seniors. These may include:
Walking
Stretching
Yoga
Tai Chi
Dancing
Swimming & Water Aerobics
Biking (including stationary bikes)
Wii (videogame) sports
Many fantastic exercises can be performed while seated for seniors who have difficulty with balance or standing.
Physical activities not only help to strengthen bones, but exercise also helps mitigate symptoms of depression, which is very common in seniors. Some studies suggest that exercise may be equally or even more effective in treating depression in elders than antidepressant medications.
Games for Seniors
In our twilight years, most adults have lots of free time. Games can be an enjoyable way to spend time socializing with others. They can also provide cognitive benefits such as exercising the players’ decision-making, short-term memory, and judgment. To that end, it’s no surprise that most nursing homes offer a variety of opportunities for residents to play games. Some of the most popular games for seniors include:
Checkers
Chess
Board games
Scrabble
Connect four
Card games
Bingo
Puzzles
Creative Activities for Elders
Creative activities for seniors have been proven to offer a variety of mental health benefits. These include:
Aiding in relaxation/stress reduction
Creating a sense of community
Improving self-esteem
Improving cognition
Providing sensory stimulation
Reducing depression and anxiety
Reducing loneliness/feelings of isolation
Relieving/reducing boredom
Because creative activities offer many benefits, top-rated nursing homes and assisted living facilities will provide residents with the materials necessary to engage in creative activities. These often include crafting supplies, painting supplies, drawing supplies, and more.
Mental/Cognitive Stimulation
Elders in nursing homes should be provided with mentally stimulating activities to keep the brain active and healthy. Some of the best activities for seniors that help improve memory and cognition include:
Crossword Puzzles
Reading
Sudoku
Trivia games
Word search
Writing
Music therapy has also been shown to offer cognitive benefits, including improved communication, interaction with others, memory recall, and socialization opportunities.
Lane County’s Favorite Senior Care Facilities
Gateway Living is a top-rated assisted living facility in Lane County. Located in a safe, quiet Springfield residential neighborhood, our campus includes seven houses on a lush green campus. Gateway Living is one of several Gateway Family facilities in Lane County, providing specialized care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injuries. All Gateway senior care facilities offer an assortment of activities for residents to enjoy. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a tour.