Entertainment is not usually on your list of necessities when you are planning senior care for a loved one, but it is one of those things that can deeply enhance a life. Think about it, if your favorite pastimes were all taken away, how would you feel? Odds are, you’d be quite upset about it. Well, the same is true for your elderly family members, too. For this reason, integrating a few things for amusement when you are planning senior care for a loved one is a must if you want them to be as happy as possible during this difficult period in their lives.
First, look at the things that they’ve always enjoyed. Are they readers? Do they enjoy going out to the movies or to the theater? What about sports? Maybe they are more into artwork or music? It really doesn’t matter what their interests were, they are probably very likely to still enjoy those things. And although their ability to enjoy those activities may have changed, their interests haven’t. It might take some creativity, but incorporating their interests into their new lifestyles is usually possible. For example, maybe they used to enjoy going to the movie theater to watch the latest blockbusters, but a disability can prevent them from leaving the house sometimes. Even in the best of cases, it’s more difficult than it used to be. If you are able to think about what’s similar to going to the movies, you can come up with ideas. They might not be the same, but they will still be fun. Instead of going to the theater, get a movie service (like Netflix or Amazon), make some popcorn and get some sodas, and watch the movie. If you want to go all out, you can even rent a projector and hook your television or computer up to it so that it seems more like the theater. It seems small, but it will go a long way toward improving mood. And a happy person tends to have a higher quality of life.
The alternative to this is to find new sources of entertainment. If your loved one used to love going horseback riding, but this is no longer an option, find something else that interests them. It might be related, or it might be something completely new and different. You could watch horse racing on television, or you could start scrapbooking. It doesn’t matter what it is, like stated before, as long as they find enjoyment in it.
Being entertained is a higher level need according to philosophers like Maslow. However, when that need is met, everything else has either already been accomplished, or will more easily fall into place. Things like being relocated to a nursing home, or being in need of an in-home caregiver can be quite unsettling. But if things can be made more fun for them, these lifestyle changes will not be quite as depressing. Everyone gets older, and many need care. But that doesn’t mean that fun has come to an end.
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