Ever since your mom died several years ago, your elderly father just hasn’t been the same. Depression seems to be his new constant companion, and when the holidays come around every year dad’s demeanor gets even worse. He still lives alone nearby, so you’ve been trying to come up with some creative ways to lift him out of his funk and get him in the holiday spirit.
Even though advertisers portray the holidays as “Hallmark moments”, they can oftentimes seem like quite the opposite for many seniors. According to a recent AARP Loneliness and Social Connections survey, over one-third of elderly Americans feel lonely and depressed during the holiday season. If your aging loved one struggles with senior loneliness during the holidays, here are some simple ways to remind them just how much they’re loved.
Your elderly father passed away several months ago and your aging mother now lives alone in the house you grew up in. But lately mom always seems lonely and depressed, and she’s isolated herself from family members and friends. In fact, mom’s feelings of loneliness have reached the point that you’re now worried about her health and wellbeing. What should you do? There are several proven ways to help an elderly parent overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation, starting with these.
Your elderly mother lives alone in Manatee County, Florida, and you manage your own household in another state. Ever since dad died a year ago, she just hasn’t been the same. Mom seems depressed, and isn’t eating or sleeping enough, or getting the exercise she needs. Now you’re worried that her health and wellbeing may be at risk. What should you do? Studies have found that an effective way to keep seniors more independent and active is by getting them a companion animal.
About 10% of Americans ages 60 and older have dealt with some form of elder abuse, and that only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse are reported to authorities. How do you help prevent your elderly loved ones from experiencing abuse? Start by looking for signs of abuse, and then use proven strategies for stopping and preventing any further abuse.
For most of our life we are too busy doing more ‘important’ things to set aside a few moments to learn something new. Then, one day, we suddenly wake up and have time to fill, but nothing to fill it with. At this point in life, many seniors want to learn new hobbies but feel too old to do so. This is nonsense, however. Seniors are never too old to learn new hobbies; the benefits of doing so are even backed by science!
While growing up your mom was always there to lift your spirits when you were feeling down. Ever since your dad passed away, you’ve noticed that your mother just doesn’t seem to have the same twinkle in her eye or outgoing demeanor that she used to. It’s harder to get her to engage in conversation, [...]
