Having a family reunions is a fantastic way to enhance your aging parents quality of life. By encouraging them to spend quality time with loved ones, you can help to give them a greater sense of relevance, importance, and value, boost their mental and emotional health, and create memories you can cherish well into the future. In some ways, however, family reunions can be overwhelming for an elderly adult. Especially if they are dealing with challenges and limitations such as Alzheimer's disease, other forms of cognitive functioning decline, hearing loss, or illness. Having extended family in the home for a gathering can cause difficulties both of your parents, and for you. This does not mean, however, that you can enjoy getting together with the people you love. Consider hosting an open house that will still encourage visiting with your parent, but simplify the celebration, and protect your aging loved one.
Use these tips to plan an open house so your aging parents can visit with family:
- Set aside a day that will be devoted to the open house. Because this type of gathering lasts over the course of several hours, it will be important that you have time before to get ready as well as time after for your parent to relax
- Choose the time range for the open house so that is best for your parent. The purpose of an open house is to provide a block of several hours during which guests can stop in and spend some time in the home without a set start time or end time for their visit. Try to choose a block of time when your parents will feel their best and not need extensive care efforts
- Ask guests if they know approximately what time they may arrive. This allows you to gauge when might be the busiest part of your open house, and gives you the opportunity to ask others to come at different times if possible
- Rather than planning a meal or set activities, provide refreshments that can sit out throughout the open house, or that you can easily refresh during the day so guests can enjoy them at their leisure. Choose activities that encourage guests to interact, but are not time specific. Having a large poster board family members can sign, a drawing for everyone to work on painting or coloring together, or simple crafts are a great way to encourage engagement without taking up too much time for those guests who may not be able to stay for long
Being a family caregiver for an elderly adult can be a challenging experience, but it can also be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling you can have in your life. Introducing home care into your care routine with your aging parent can be an exceptional way to ensure your senior has the level of care, support, and assistance they need to manage their individual needs and limitations, while also giving you the ability to step back, take time to yourself, and focus on other obligations and needs in your life. Through a set of highly personalized services, this in-home care provider can help your parent to meet their needs in the ways that are right for them, while also supporting a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, independent, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Okemos, MI, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Lansing. Call today: 517-332-9953.