For senior adults aging at home, turning a summer at home into a staycation is a great way to promote relaxation, find new enjoyable activities, and stay engaged. Staying engaged in fun activities has been shown to prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation. In-home care can help guide your aging loved one through a variety of daily activities, ensuring that they age healthily both mentally and physically. Below are some summer staycation ideas geared toward fun at home.

Incorporate Activity

Many adults lose mobility as they age, affecting their physical health and mental well-being. Physical activity is important for aging adults who want to lower their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Staying active can also help aging adults maintain their cognitive function, boost energy levels, manage symptoms of chronic pain,  improve balance, prevent injuries, and improve symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. 

• Neighborhood Walks: Spend time safely exploring your aging loved one’s neighborhood to get fresh air early in the day before temperatures get too hot to strengthen their bones and reduce blood pressure. 
• Gardening: Gardening is a form of exercise that promotes time connected to nature and can boost your aging loved one’s mood.
• Bird Watching: Bird watching is a calming activity that exercises your aging loved one’s alertness and cognitive thinking. You and your loved one can enjoy the calming effects of nature from the comfort of their living room by hanging a bird feeder outside of the window.

Encourage Socialization

Social connection and meaningful relationships are essential to health and happiness. For aging adults, it can be a challenge to stay connected to their community as they lose their independence. Socialization can still be incorporated into your aging loved one’s day to improve their quality of life. 

• Connect With Family and Friends: Whether catching up in person or meeting over video calls, time with friends and family is invaluable for your aging loved one. 
• Volunteering: Encouraging your loved one to spend their time and energy on a cause they care about deeply allows them to make positive changes in their community, find fulfillment, and improve their overall health.  
• Community Events: Find local plays, craft nights, or senior center activities for your aging loved one to attend to make friends and find new interests. 

Foster Creativity

Tapping into your aging loved one’s creativity keeps their mind sharp and encourages more fun and play.

• Arts and Crafts: Activities such as painting, knitting, scrapbooking, or floral arranging can boost relaxation, improve mental health, and reduce dementia symptoms.
• Baking: Trying new recipes that pique your loved one’s interests, making nostalgic old favorites, or gathering recipes passed down through generations is a fun way to be creative while staying home. 
• Writing: Whether keeping a journal of daily life, writing down stories about favorite memories, or tapping into fictional storytelling, writing is a great way to improve memory and manage stress. 

Spark Curiosity

Turn your aging loved one’s summer at home into a staycation by encouraging them to remain curious about the world around them. 

• Find New Interests: Whether your loved one prefers reading, audiobooks, movies, or podcasts, find a new source of information that is positive, informative, and based on a subject they are fascinated with. 
• Play Games: Get the family together for a game night or make time to play jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, card games, and other brain games to keep your aging loved one’s mind sharp and engaged. 
• Learn: What is your aging loved one curious to know more about? Take in-person or virtual tours of local museums, help them enroll in online courses, or dive into genealogy research with them.

By engaging in these activities, seniors can enjoy a fulfilling summer staycation at home. At HomeSpark, your aging loved one’s health and happiness are our top priorities. Contact us to learn more about our nonmedical, in-home caregiving services.