Columbia Aged Care

Easter is this Sunday. Are you struggling for gift ideas or activities to do with your loved one?

The best gift you can give your loved one is to spend time with them.

Holidays can be a lonely time for elderly people if they are unable to spend it with family. By visiting your loved one over Easter it will show them how much you care about them.

There are many activities you can do together to celebrate Easter. Many families attend church together or share a meal for lunch or dinner.

Here is a list of things you can do at home or at your loved one’s nursing home:

• Baking Easter treats: making biscuits or your own chocolate Easter eggs.
• Easter parade: Family or nursing home members can create their own Easter hats and parade them for everyone else to see.
• Sing Easter songs: Hold a sing-a-long with your loved one or attend a local Easter concert.
• Games: Play board games or cards with your loved one.
• Craft activities: Create cards, Easter baskets, paint Easter eggs or sew Easter bunnies with your loved one. Here is a link to make your own simple Easter bunny.

Buying Easter gifts for your loved one can be difficult because not all elderly people can eat chocolate. It’s a good idea to find out what foods they enjoy and buy them instead.

Here is a list of Easter gift ideas for your loved one:

• Books with large font
• Cross stitch kit
• Knitting set
• Painting set
• Clothing
• Crossword books
• Puzzles
• Plants for their garden

Great gifts are ones from the heart, so think about making your loved one something special for Easter.

Have a happy Easter!

It can be hard to find activities that are not too physically demanding, yet are entertaining and engaging for the elderly. Consider art and craft activities for your loved one, which come in a range of skill levels to suit all ages and abilities.

Love To Know have provided a great selection of creative activities for the elderly, but don’t stop here – the possibilities are endless!

• Scrapbooking is a great way to enjoy photographs and stimulate memories. With common equipment like scissors, glue, art paper, stickers, and  items like photographs and letters, your loved one will be on their way to creating a masterpiece. Scrapbooks make thoughtful gifts for friends or family members, as a memento of a holiday or special occasion.
• Beading. Craft stores stock a large range of beautiful beads with which your loved one can create necklaces, bracelets or earrings that make unique gifts. They may even like to take a jewellery-making class.
• Photography is an activity that can be carried out anywhere, because there are so many potential subjects. It can be as simple or professional as your loved one is capable of. Some interesting subjects might be people, plants, animals or buildings.

Creative activities are continually engaging because as your loved one refines their skills, they will learn new techniques that provide new challenges. If none of the above activities are possible, try to think of other activities – maybe painting or card making. There’s sure to be something that your loved one will enjoy.

Read the full article HERE.