New Year Activities for The Elderly
The Importance of Spending Time Together at New Years
New Year can bring up conflicting emotions – some people love the opportunity to make resolutions and initiate change in their lives. In contrast, others see it as another year without a beloved family member or feel their age creeping up on them. Whatever your attitude towards the start of another year, it’s a good juncture to pause for reflection and decide what’s most important. Families traditionally get together at Christmas or New Year, which can be both rewarding and difficult, depending on your relationships. However, spending time with people with whom we have connections is important to remind us of what we consider important in life and arranging meaningful activities together can diffuse what might otherwise be a fraught and stressful time.
Talk to our friendly customer care team today about our exceptional visiting or live-in care if you’d like to make this new year a Helping Hands year!
Great Activities to Try This New Years
New Year activities for elderly people can give everyone something positive to focus on instead of worrying that old differences may rear their heads. Being occupied rather than just trying to force conversation means that – even when people don’t always get on – attention will be drawn away from the risk of argument. They are also a lot of fun!
Board Game Night
Who doesn’t love a classic board game from their younger years? A great way to bring the fun back into a family gathering, getting into teams and playing a game can focus everyone’s attention on fun rather than risking old differences resurfacing. Watching the kids playing a game that meant a lot to the adults as children can also trigger nostalgia for everyone.
Film Night - Old & New
Having a senior member of the family choose a film, and then the kids (big or small) choose one they love, means that everyone feels valued and opens up the chance of discovering a new favourite. Providing choices that are suitable for the age group of everyone gathered can be a great way to bond over a shared love of films that will forever remind them of each other.
Family Arts and Crafts
Getting creative together is one of the easiest ways to keep your mind active, while studies have shown that doing arts and crafts is extremely beneficial for senior mental and physical health. Whether you love knitting, crochet, puzzles or games, it’s an opportunity for young and old to introduce each other to their favourites and discover a love for a new pastime.
Cooking as a Family
Many people love to cook or bake, and for some seniors it’s something they really miss. Baking some tasty treats will be a great generational activity; after all, many people learnt to cook with their grandmother, for example. Teaching a new generation to make the same things they did can spark everyone’s enthusiasm and love for creating recipes.
More Fun Activities From Helping Hands
Because Helping Hands have been supporting older people to make the most of every day since we were established in 1989, we truly are the UK’s trusted home care experts. Our carers are especially skilled in supporting our customers to remain as independent as possible in the home they love, including fun activities and practical help. While they’ll take care of the tasks such as housework, personal care and medication, they’ll also support you to participate in the activities you always used to enjoy. For example, if you want to bake a cake for a family member’s birthday but can’t manage it alone, your carer will ensure it gets done. We’ll tailor your care to your own specifications as we value you as an individual – we will never believe that ‘one size fits all’ is appropriate in specialised support. This is why we don’t sell franchises and retain ownership and control of all of our 150 branches across England and Wales, as we know it’s the best way to maintain standards and consistency.
