-
8 votes
-
Why older people may not need to watch blood sugar so closely
11 votes -
Senior moments: The ten best movie portrayals by actors over 85
9 votes -
Activities to do out of the house with an elderly relative?
Hello Tildutes! I have an elderly relative (91) who spends a lot of time alone in her house. I was thinking it would be nice to do an offbeat bonding activity in town somewhere to relax her. I’m...
Hello Tildutes!
I have an elderly relative (91) who spends a lot of time alone in her house. I was thinking it would be nice to do an offbeat bonding activity in town somewhere to relax her.
I’m looking for suggestions on things she might enjoy, ideally something interactive but low-stakes.
Requirements/notes:
- Something one can do in a place like Newark, Wilmington, or maybe Philadelphia.
- She can walk and stand (her cane helps), but not too fast or for too long. She would need to sit.
- She can see alright with her glasses and can hear you with hearing aids, but not from a distance.
- She is astute and can follow conversations just fine, thought it can take a moment for her to put together her thoughts.
- I’d like to get her out of the house—managing her own living space is stressful and she is more relaxed when she does not feel obliged to be hostly.
- I would like this to be calming or relaxing or refreshing for her. She has some obsessive/compulsive habits and I kind of want her to zen out more. Or just have fun—she’s often worrying.
Some ideas I had (input/feedback/additional suggestions welcome):
- Some sort of guided meditative or zen garden-type relaxation thing, but suitable for a kinda tired senior with OCD. I don’t know what to look for exactly. Maybe even something a little New Age. She is nominally Quaker and I would say a good-natured and open-minded person.
- She mentioned once that her dream job was to be an artist. I was thinking about an abstract painting session at a studio where they provide all the materials. Some way for her to let out her inner Jackson Pollock?
- I thought about a spa day. Do they have specialists who work with seniors? She has some aches and pains but is obviously fragile and extremely unused to being “treated.” She might have to overcome some… guilt (?) for being attended to.
- Some sort of guided cultural experience—but maybe more engaging than walking around a museum? She is well-traveled and remains interested in world cultures. She used to be a teacher of English and French, spent a considerable amount of time volunteering in Mexico (before it was developed), and seems to often appreciate learning about cultural things on Wikipedia or in magazines.
- She seems to be quite pleased with animals, at least cats and dogs. I considered going to a cat cafe but, having been in those before, I know the animals are not always accessible. Are puppy cafes a thing? Indoor petting zoos?
In contrast it would be unsuitable for us to play any sort of competitive game, or to do something requiring a lot of physical strength or dexterity, or anything that would be emotionally overwhelming.
If you have experiences of activities or programs that might be fulfilling to my relative, I would love to hear them!
My goal is mostly just for her to have a nice time for that day. If I can get her to be more relaxed generally, that’s great too.
Thank you!
19 votes -
Assisted dying now accounts for one in twenty Canada deaths
35 votes -
Why is Google Gemini saying we should die?
52 votes -
US senior homes refuse to pick up fallen residents, dial 911. ‘Why are they calling us?’
40 votes -
To make sure grandmas like his don't get conned, he scams the scammers
25 votes -
Greyhound bus stops are valuable US assets. Here’s who’s cashing in on them.
13 votes -
A banking relationship, dementia and a loss of $50 million dollars lead to a US lawsuit against JP Morgan
3 votes -
Despite new Respiratory Syncytial Virus shots, most older US adults remain unvaccinated
13 votes -
China tried to keep kids off social media. Now the elderly are hooked.
27 votes -
This retired pilot went to the hospital but was released subject to legal guardianship of a stranger. Family members were not identified until they found him many months later.
29 votes -
Centenarian blood tests give hints of the secrets to longevity
9 votes -
US homelessness increasingly includes elderly people who worked hard all of their lives - study shows half of homeless over 50
27 votes -
I spent a week alone in the Metaverse
39 votes -
Why are so many 55+ neighborhoods being built?
Living in northern Virginia, it seems like half of newly-constructed homes are earmarked for "active adult" 55 and up communities. Is there a financial incentive above and beyond normal...
Living in northern Virginia, it seems like half of newly-constructed homes are earmarked for "active adult" 55 and up communities.
Is there a financial incentive above and beyond normal residential construction that these are popping up more?
It seems like a newer trend that's picked up in the last 5 or 10 years.
Edit 1: Thank you all for the input and sharing your perspective. It's just been a question hanging in the back of my mind as I've been driving around in recent months.
45 votes -
Cycling for seniors and why it is a good idea
10 votes -
The ugly truth behind “We buy ugly houses”
10 votes -
Swedish retirees demand fairer pensions for women – The Old Lady Patrol's protest against the country's pension system enters its tenth year
5 votes -
Yale academic suggests mass suicide for Japan’s elderly
5 votes -
Woman presumed dead was found gasping for air in body bag at Iowa funeral home. After the 66-year-old was found to be alive, she was taken back to a hospice facility and died two days later.
7 votes -
China to boost COVID vaccination for the elderly amid outbreak
7 votes -
How “dementia villages” work
6 votes -
Why a gang of Spanish grannies covered an entire street in woolly blankets
4 votes -
Did Sweden's controversial COVID strategy pay off? In many ways it did – but it let the elderly down
10 votes -
This grandma’s dying wish was a giant dick on her grave
23 votes -
Nursing homes are suing friends and family to collect on patients' bills
9 votes -
Where a thousand digital eyes keep watch over the elderly
3 votes -
Whatever happened to the Palms, dubbed America’s first LGBTQ retirement community?
5 votes -
Finland has an ageing population and a labor shortage – despite government programs, immigrants and their families are not always greeted with open arms
7 votes -
Inventive grandson builds Telegram messaging machine for 96-year-old grandmother
16 votes -
Previously oldest living American Hester Ford dies at 115
8 votes -
Irish pensioners choir dedicates moving rendition of Silent Night to trans kids and calls on elders to educate themselves
14 votes -
Japan’s elderly online shoppers are running into trouble
7 votes -
Meet 'Lady Ninja,' the 67-year-old who beat up a man attacking her friend — and saved her life
9 votes -
Mortality rates from COVID-19 are lower in unionized nursing homes
11 votes -
Coming out at ninety years old... to my gay daughter
7 votes -
Florida nursing homes see infections surge as workers spread virus
4 votes -
Sixteen-year-old student gets thousands of primary school children to write to lonely care home residents
7 votes -
Nursing homes say they ‘treat in place.’ Then came covid-19
3 votes -
Last person to receive an American Civil War pension dies
17 votes -
Andrew Cuomo gave legal immunity to nursing home execs after big campaign donations. Critics say data proves New York's liability shield is linked to higher nursing home death rates.
11 votes -
Skyrim grandma is taking a break because of internet assholes
18 votes -
Florida's strategy to protect seniors from COVID-19
7 votes -
Grandmother ordered to delete Facebook photos under GDPR
12 votes -
Canada’s nursing home crisis: Eighty-one percent of coronavirus deaths are in long-term care facilities
3 votes -
How a nursing home in France stopped coronavirus from killing elderly in its care
8 votes -
Number of nursing homes in the US with publicly reported cases of the coronavirus soars
7 votes -
Sweden counts coronavirus deaths in care homes but many countries do not – medical officials said a third of deaths recorded last week came from nursing home residents
5 votes