Keeping Up with New Year’s Resolutions for Seniors

Keeping Up with New Year’s Resolutions for Seniors - AmeriBest Home Care

They may seem like nonsense, but New Year’s resolutions actually hold a lot of power.
Especially, for seniors.

New Year’s resolutions are important because they set your sights on the future. They keep you moving forward and focused on a better life- even if the past has been a difficult one.

As seniors get older, they often get lost in regrets and “what ifs.”
When that happens, they can easily find themselves stuck in a spiral that takes them deeper and deeper into the angst of past events.

And, that’s where New Year’s resolutions come in.

New Year’s resolutions give seniors hope. They can pull seniors out of the deepest of spirals by shifting their perspectives from a lost past to an attainable future.

So, this bright 2020, help your senior make a powerful New Year’s resolution that will last.

Easy New Year’s Resolutions for You and Your Senior

On the other hand, choosing a resolution that’s too easy will make you feel bored and unfulfilled.

That’s why the best tip for keeping new year’s resolutions is choosing the right resolution from the get-go.

Some good new year’s resolutions for you and your senior to try are:

  1. Exercise 1.5 hours a week
  2. Volunteer once a month
  3. Read 13 books
  4. Host family night every 2 weeks
  5. Start and finish 50% of a project you’ve been pushing off
  6. Smile when you see a stranger

Making New Year’s Resolutions Last Longer

It’s easy to make New Year’s resolutions. It’s harder to keep them and make them last longer than January.

However, there are a few tips and tricks that can really help you stick to your guns, and fulfill your resolution. The best one we can tell you today is: Schedule a time.

Telling ourselves “I’ll do it later,” is one of the biggest traps we fall for, because, we all know that later all too easily turns into never.

The best way to dodge this fall is by scheduling a specific time to do your resolution. If it’s a broader resolution, you can plan one day a week that you’ll be more cognizant of it. If it’s a specific resolution, you can plan a more specific time.

You wouldn’t miss an appointment you make with others, so don’t miss an appointment you make with yourself.

Helping Your Seniors Stick to Their Resolutions

If you notice that your senior is having trouble sticking to his or her New Year’s resolution, there are a few ways in which you can help.

First, check-in on your senior’s progress. We all need reminders every now and then, and we all need a little peer pressure – the good kind. Call up your senior and politely ask, “how’s the resolution going?” It might be enough to get them going again.

If that doesn’t work, the second thing you can do is offer to join them in their resolution. You don’t have to join in every time, but once and a while could really help your senior stay motivated.

And lastly, give encouraging words. If your senior is falling behind, remind them why they chose that resolution in the first place. Stress the fact that it’s never too late to get back on track.

5 Holiday Ideas Your Elderly Parents Will Love

5 Holiday Ideas Your Elderly Parents Will Love - AmeriBest Home Care

Holiday planning can be tricky.

Of course, you want your holiday plans to include fun and meaningful activities with your family. But, finding activities that everyone wants to do? Well, it’s not always the easiest thing to accomplish.

Especially with aging parents. Because you have to find activities that go beyond the generation gap. Activities that are easy and easily accessible. Activities that will really bring you and your parents closer together for the holiday season.

It’s a tall order.

Lucky for you, we’ve created a list of 5 wonderful holiday ideas aging parents will love. If you were having trouble making plans, check out this list for some easy, meaningful tips and activities.

Bake some treats.

Everyone loves food.
Particularly holiday treats.

Choose one of your or your parents’ favorite holiday goodies, and bake away!

This is a great activity because it allows you to chat and catch up while doing the activity. And, it’s extremely accommodating. You can bake standing up, sitting down. You can bake more challenging treats like gingerbread houses or easy treats like cake mix brownies.

Baking is so versatile, you can’t go wrong.

Bring out the old photos.

Some of the best memories are created while sharing old memories.
Dust off the old photo albums and pull up some chairs for the whole family to see.

Reminiscing about the good ol’ days is always a fun and meaningful activity. The pictures you find or the memories you recall will make you smile and cry. By the end of the night, you might even find yourself rolling with laughter.

It’s a wonderful experience for all.

Decorate galore.

Where you spend your holidays is almost as important as how you spend your holidays.
If the room is drab and sad, no amount of lively activity will brighten the mood.

So, bring some extra cheer into the house with a bit of decorating!

Like baking, this is another activity that allows you to talk and spend quality time with your elderly parents. Even if they can’t reach all the tall places, they’ll still enjoy chatting while you climb up a ladder.

There’s nothing more magical than creating something together.

See the show.

If you’re looking to get out of the house, some of the most wonderful shows play this time of year. Operas, Broadway shows, plays, or even just movies. Your choices are unlimited.

Find a genre or theme both you and your elderly parents love.
Then buy the tickets, and head on out!

Pro Tip: Plan this activity in advance. Tickets during this season sell out fast!

Book a spa.

Whether it’s foot massages for the dads or manicures for the moms, spas are a great holiday activity.

Not only do spa days get you out of the house, they do so while being easily accessible to aging parents. And, if you can book a room together, you’ll have plenty of time to chat about life and other fun things.

Happy holidays!