How To Celebrate The Holidays With Seniors This Year

The current pandemic situation has taken the world by storm. In such a scenario, any event is an excuse to catch up with the family members and party hard. However, that is not a feasible option if you have senior citizens in your home. Senior citizens generally have low immunity, and the chances of getting inflicted by the virus are relatively high. It is wise to keep them away from crowds during such a critical time. However, that could only bore them out of their wits. So, it is of utmost importance to keep them entertained during the holiday period. Technology has worked wonders in the 21st century. Trust it to provide some magical alternatives to physical gatherings. So, let us discuss how to celebrate the holidays with the senior members of our families.

1. Video Conference

A virtual gathering is a welcomed change. It will help people meet and greet each other and maintain social distancing at the same time. The senior citizens would be delighted with this opportunity. The younger generation is busy at other times. The holidays are the only chance these senior citizens get to meet all their family members. Elevate the screen of your smartphone to the level of senior citizens. Then, they will not have to bend their bodies backward. The TV may also be used as a viewing screen. Also, a laptop is a better choice as compared to the small screen of the smartphone. As our age grows, our ability to see decreases. The bigger the screen is, the better our grandparents will see people on the other side. Google Meet and Zoom provide ideal platforms for group video calls.

2. Order Food

The purpose of any celebration is to eat together. This year, you can order lunch or dinner from any local restaurant, get it delivered to your doorsteps, and have a blast. No-contact delivery is a viable option. However, it is important to ask senior citizens about their food preferences before ordering food. It would be best if you made them feel involved at every stage. Incidentally, senior citizens have a piece of useful knowledge about everyone's favorite food item. So, it would be wise to let them choose the menu for all the relatives.

3. Decorate the House

The aesthetic sense of senior citizens is admirable. Also, it is a ritual to clean the house before every holiday. After the house is cleaned from top to bottom, you can start decorating it. These older people may not be physically fit enough to decorate the house. Still, they tend to give good decorating tips. Follow them closely to decorate the home in the best way possible.

4. Prepare Homemade Greetings Cards

Homemade greeting cards have become a global trend. The older people are likely to have several retro card designs up their sleeve. You can ask them to write the greetings in a retro fashion on the card. They generally have a knack for designing impressive-looking greeting cards.

5. Cook Together

Older people are aware of some yummy traditional recipes. Holiday time is synonymous with cooking delicious food. Although some senior citizens may not be able to cook, they can easily instruct others. Cooking also helps to strengthen the bonding between the family members.

6. Play Indoor Games

Family members may play a few indoor games like cards, karaoke, etc. Modification is the most important rule of the game. Senior citizens are frail, and they can tire easily. So, the rules of the games may be tweaked to suit their needs. Hence, if the competition proves to be too tiring for senior citizens, there should be an option for less tiring games.

7. Do Arts And Crafts

You may encourage seniors to create a collage of their "good old days." A scrapbook containing the photos from their childhood to their growing years is a good idea. Older people generally have a creative flair, and activities like these will help them reflect on their good old memories.

8. Reading

Reading is an age-old tradition. During the holiday season, seniors may read out some stories, and family members may listen to him narrate them. In case they have eye problems, someone else can take up their position.

9. Tell Stories

The younger family members may encourage their children to listen to their grandparents' "good old days." As a result, children may develop good ethics. Also, active listening may lead to a beautiful bond between the grandparents and the grandchildren.

10. Sing Carols

Family members may sing carols together. The elderly family members have excellent knowledge of carols. Relatives may join in the melody through video conference as well. It is a beautiful way of bonding together.

11. Spend Quality Time Together

Senior citizens believe in spending quality time with family members. They may feel lonely and bitter when left alone to their own devices. After all, they mostly spend time with their caregivers. The elders generally feel that they have little time left to spend with their family members. So, to comfort them, family members may gather in a room and share the events of their day-to-day life. They can watch movies together or even listen to some good oldies songs together. However, try to avoid debates of any form. Seniors are generally prone to anxiety attacks. As a result, a feeling of losing out in the debate may trigger a bout of anxiety, which in turn might make them sick. It will then ruin the entire festive mood. Remember that the discussions should never be too intense.

Conclusion

You should involve your senior loved ones in various activities to ensure that they do not feel left out. In their old age, money alone cannot buy them happiness. Celebrating any occasion with family members and loved ones is the key to their happiness. However, these days, celebrating virtually is the only feasible option. Follow the tips mentioned above to celebrate the holidays with the senior citizens in your life.