5 Winter Festivities That Are Senior-Friendly!

Winter can be an isolating time for many seniors. With the cold, snow, and shortened daylight hours, it can be easy for seniors to end up in a rut and family members may also start to visit them less during bad weather compounding the problem. It’s important to still include the seniors in your life during winter, in a safe way. Here are a number of winter festivities that you can do!

1. Play board games
Not everything has to be outside – just time together can help alleviate loneliness. Find out their favourite board game and challenge them to a game! This can also help bring back happy memories of childhood particularly if it’s a game they used to play.

2. Meet for a tea or coffee
Just taking 30 minutes out of your day to meet the senior in your life for a tea or coffee at your local coffee shop can make a world of difference to their mental health! 

3. Go to a gym
Depending on their activity level, why not become their gym buddy? Seniors are often restricted by not having means to travel, so why not pick them up and take them along with you? Low-intensity exercises may be best for older folks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be doing your usual workout in the meantime! 

4. Look after your (or a friends) pet 
Animals can be amazing at alleviating loneliness and anxiety. Many seniors are unable to have pets, especially if they are in a long-term care facility. If you have a pet, or perhaps your friend has a pet that doesn’t mind you visiting, then this can be a fun activity for you both.

5. Get outside (when it’s safe to do so)
It’s still important to get fresh air and physical exercise (of which walking is often the easiest) during winter. On good days, try to get outside. But if it is cold, make sure that you’re both wrapped up warmly. Also pay attention to weather conditions, as if the roads/sidewalks are slippy, it creates a massive slip hazard, particularly for seniors – and it may not be worth the risk. 

At Continyou Care, we want to ensure seniors are not forgotten about this winter. Make sure to keep in contact with the senior in your life and engage in regular activities with them, even when the weather is not great during winter. There are plenty of options indoor, or at the minimum, a phone call or video call can be great for relieving the loneliness they may be feeling! 

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*Photo by Alex Green from Pexels