#1 In Home Caregiver Secret for Planning Meaningful Senior Activities

June 10, 2015

Online you’ll find many websites with suggestions about activities that can enrich a senior’s life with outdoor, cultural and social activities. Here, we want to emphatically emphasize that all the activities should spring from you (if you’re a senior), your senior loved one or, for the in home caregiver, your client. Proposing activities that the client is unable to relate to, such as a button craft to a former Navy admiral or a scientist will almost certainly fall flat. Keep the cards, itineraries and even suggestions to yourself until you understand your client well enough to offer activities that will resonate with them. Making this effort alone goes far in gaining the respect of the senior you’re aiding.

Job 1: Ask About THEIR Background and Interests

Keep a notebook or computer file and use this list of questions to delve into your client or loved one’s passions. It will serve as inspiration for all kinds of successful activities. When the initiative comes from them, everyone is more likely to enjoy the experience. If the long list surprises them, be honest and explain that there are hundreds of activities available, but you want to offer only those they find most engaging.

What sports did you play in high school and beyond?
What sports did you watch most in high school and during your working life?
What were your favorite teams? Why?
What is your favorite type of music now? What band did you like the most when you were in your 20s?
What kind of job did you have? Did you use your hands most or your strength or intelligence? What did you enjoy most about your job?
Which job did you like the most? The least?
Do you enjoy fixing household appliances or cars?
Do you enjoy cooking, sewing or knitting?
Did you golf, swim, play pool or bowl? What is/was your favorite hobby?
Where have you traveled? What was the most exciting country or state?
Are you a reader? Who’s your favorite author?
What kind of movies do you like? Action? Romance? Comedy? Horror?
Who’s your favorite actor? Why?
How’s _______________________ (senior’s pet) doing today?
[If no pet,] Which of your pets do you remember most and why? Which breed of animal do you most enjoy?
What were the funny fads that surprised you when you were growing up?
What was your neighborhood like growing up?
What magazines do you read? What were your favorite magazines throughout your career?
What worries you most about society, families and/or politics today?
Are you a crackerjack card player? Would you like to learn a card game?

Whether you’re a family member or in home caregiver, once you get the answers to these questions, you’ll have a starting point to develop a list of interesting things to do with the senior you care for.

Find that In Home Caregiver that Enriches Lives

. . .And Takes Direction from the Senior and Family

Finding a competent, experienced in home caregiver that takes a genuine interest in you or your senior loved one can be a challenge. With My Care Match, you are free to search through caregivers who reveal their skills, personality and interests in their profiles. When you fill out a profile on My Care Match, caregivers even come to you. The right in home caregiver will enrich life with activities your senior loved one expresses interest in. Click the link above to get started or contact us with any questions you may have.

About the Author

Doug Breuer is co-founder of MyCareMatch.com and has worked in senior care for the last 9 years for the State of Oregon. From investigating cases of elder abuse to managing the delivery of long term care to residents of Central Oregon, Doug has been involved in all aspects of senior care.

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