Most of us find that work, school, socializing and raising a family keep us very busy, and there are times we wish we had more hours in a day. But for retired seniors who are still aging in place at home, when the pace of life slows down it can seem like they have too much time on their hands.
Sadly, chronic inactivity can negatively impact a senior’s sense of purpose, and over time leads to depression, diminished cognitive abilities and poor overall health. In an effort to ensure that doesn’t happen, the adage “You’re never too old to learn something new” rings true, as there are many activities for seniors to engage in that can help them lead happier and healthier lives. One of the best is learning some new hobbies, which has been found to benefit seniors in a number of ways.
How Learning New Hobbies Benefits Seniors
Psychologists have discovered that during different phases of our lives, including the senior years, certain skills become easier to learn. Furthermore, when a person reaches their late 60s and early 70s, their brain’s total accumulation of facts and knowledge actually peaks. As a result, most elderly adults continue to learn, and by engaging them in something like new hobbies it’s been found that senior’s enjoy these health and wellbeing benefits:
- Stimulates their brain which helps ward off dementia
- Promotes creativity
- Increases happiness
- Helps them contribute to society in general
- Builds new friendships
So when you are serving as a family caregiver for a loved one, for example your parents, getting them to take on new hobbies provides a number of benefits that can help them continue to age in place for many years to come.
Fun Hobbies that Seniors Enjoy
Here are some fun and rewarding hobbies that seniors like to participate in:
Sketching and painting – People of all ages like to doodle. Sketching and painting are great ways to awaken both the logical and creative parts of the brain. Art classes are a fun activity that unleashes a senior’s inner artistic side, and there are even online sketching and painting courses available if they are homebound.
Take a cooking class – Cooking for a large family for many years is different than doing so on a smaller scale where a senior can use more creativity and flair. Encouraging a senior to take a cooking class or trying out some new recipes with them at home can be fun. They can then invite over some dinner guests to sample their newfound culinary creations while sharing some good times and laughs.
Brain teasing puzzles – Memory loss is a common problem among the elderly population. Nothing says mental stimulation like solving a few puzzles, and doing so will help keep a senior’s mind sharp while fending off the cognitive effects of aging. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku or other memory games are activities that can be done anywhere, including at home.
Exercising regularly – Trying new forms of exercise is a great way to build self-worth, along with keeping a senior’s body and mind fit. Water aerobics, ballroom dancing, Yoga, Wii and walking are a few examples of exercises that seniors can safely engage in that also will increase their lung capacity, strengthen their heart, and improve blood circulation.
In addition to these hobbies, a lot of seniors also enjoy activities like pottery, sewing, knitting, bird-watching and woodworking. Again, these are all hobbies that your senior loved one can do right at home if you are assisting them as a family caregiver.
We Love Helping Seniors Learn New Hobbies!
As we’ve seen, a senior is never too old to learn new hobbies. If you are serving as an in-home caregiver for your aging family member, hobbies are a great way to bolster their health, mental acuity and wellbeing for many years to come. On occasion, you may need to take a break from providing the caregiving they need. When that happens, a highly-trained caregiver from Cranberry Home Care can step in and supply the at-home nurturing that your senior loved one deserves. In fact, our experienced caregivers love participating in fun hobbies with seniors! At Cranberry Home Care, we also supply other reliable senior home care solutions including light housework, cooking, grocery shopping, personal hygiene and transportation. Our caregiving services are affordable, flexible and dependable, and always delivered in a seamless process that restores your peace-of-mind. For more ideas on fun hobbies for seniors, or to learn about the family-trusted senior caregiving services Cranberry Home Care delivers in the Middleboro, MA area, visit: www.cranberryhomecare.com now.
