Staying active later in life has a wide range of benefits for the body and mind. According to data from the National Council on Aging, approximately 78.3 million Americans will reach the age of 65 and older by 2040.
As many adults now live longer, it's important to remain engaged in various activities to keep the body and mind healthy.
Read on for some of the best memory care activities designed to keep your loved one engaged and active while they live at Addington Place of Shiloh.
Staying engaged is vital to senior wellness, and a variety of memory care activities can help to keep seniors happy in their community. These activities help to stabilize or may even improve things like self-confidence, social interaction, and physical strength.
When seniors engage in these activities with others, it helps relieve feelings of loneliness. Some residents may find that they rely on medications less as they participate in certain activities more frequently.
While a lot of memory care activities are designed to stimulate the mind, others are designed to keep seniors physically active. Physical exercise can do more than just improve physical health -- it may also improve cognitive function.
Even mild exercise can have profoundly positive impacts on senior adults. Here are some of the best ways to keep residents physically active to promote senior wellness.
Scheduling simple walking activities with seniors is a great way to improve and support healthy socialization. It also encourages seniors to get outside and move while getting some fresh air in the process.
Arranging weekly walking dates with fellow residents gives seniors something to look forward to. This simple exercise can improve their overall physical strength, too.
Not only is gardening an excellent way to get mild exercise, but it's also good for the mind. Seniors who work in a garden enjoy caring for their plants and it gives them a sense of accomplishment. As a bonus, seniors can harvest the fruits or vegetables from their gardens and eat them as part of a healthy, well-balanced meal.
Dancing is one of the most fun and engaging senior activities available. Even if they can't get up and dance, they can practice their dance moves while sitting in a chair.
The best memory care programs should include social activities like dancing. It's a great way to get seniors out and spend time with their friends while doing something entertaining.
Spending time with others is one of the best ways to combat loneliness that many seniors often face. Arranging a few fun social activities can improve cognitive function, encourage interaction, and improve mental health.
Watching movies is a good way to keep the mind active. Arranging movie nights also helps seniors socialize with others as they watch some of their favorite films.
Hosting game nights is also a great way to get seniors to interact and use their brains as they play a few casual games. At Addington Place of Shiloh, we host a variety of social functions for residents of our community.
Cooking involves all of the senses including touch, taste, and smell. A cooking class helps seniors learn new recipes and make familiar ones that evoke positive memories.
A cooking class also allows seniors to share some of their most beloved recipes with others. It's also a wonderful way to encourage learning while engaging the hands, eyes, nose, and of course the tastebuds, too.
Clubs offer seniors a chance to participate in the things they love most. Book clubs encourage residents to read and discuss their favorite books with others. Walking and gardening clubs are other examples of ways seniors can feel like they're part of something important to them.
Encouraging creativity helps to keep the mind and spirit active and engaged. There are many exciting, engaging activities that seniors can participate in to boost creativity.
Making a scrapbook is a wonderful way for seniors to look back on and preserve some of their fondest memories. Organizing a scrapbooking class helps to promote interaction and friendships while also keeping seniors' hands and minds active.
Making a collage is also a great memory care activity. The collage allows seniors to put together some of their favorite pictures that they can later display on a wall in their room.
Organize an outing to a local museum to show seniors the art world. This is a wonderful social activity that inspires and encourages seniors to try an art project of their own. The artwork displayed at galleries and museums also provides excellent visual and mental stimulation.
Working with clay, pottering or paints gives seniors an opportunity to work with their hands. It also helps them engage the mind as they make their unique projects.
Regular classes like these give residents a chance to meet with others and try their hand at various crafts. They can even make special handmade items to give as gifts or try to make functional items like coffee mugs or pottery that they can use at home.
Listening to music soothes the soul and can evoke all sorts of great memories. Arrange regular music nights where residents can gather and listen to some classics as a group. If possible, having a local choir or orchestra come and perform in your community is another awesome way to provide quality memory care activities.
From exercising and cooking to gardening and scrapbooking, these memory care activities help seniors socialize and stay engaged. Consider these active seniors tips to ensure that everyone is participating in something they love.
Addington Place at Shiloh provides an elevated senior living experience with comfort and convenience through on-site care services and resident-focused lifestyle programs to improve quality of life. If you'd like to learn more or want to schedule a tour of our community, contact us today to get started.