Showing posts with label elderly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elderly. Show all posts

January 27 – National Activity Professionals Week

Posted on January 27, 2017

From January 22 to January 28, 2017, senior centers and assisted living facilities are providing their activity professionals with the recognition, appreciation, and support they deserve.
I didn't know what “activity professionals” were, even though I am around them all the time, now that my mom is in a care facility. I had to Google "National Activity Professionals Week" to see what it is all about.
Turns out that activity professionals are people who help older folks find fun and purpose in life through music, arts and crafts, games, and other activities. It's all about life enrichment!
I was checking out the profession, and I noticed that activity professionals are being urged to use modern technology with seniors:
The Internet can aid in reminiscing; Google Earth can help them revisit places where they've lived, for example. 

Seniors can also see things they have never seen before, using virtual reality headsets, say, or taking a Google Earth tour of all seven continents.
    Family reunions can be hosted with a Google Plus circle or other audio-visual tech.

    Fit bits or other wearable technology can encourage people to be more active. 
    Ancestry-dot-com can help older people who have, perhaps for the first time in their lives, time to research their ancestors. 

    Live music will always be best, of course, but not only can senior enjoy YouTube videos of musicians past or present, they can even create a YouTube video, themselves!

    Maybe this is a career you may want, someday. If you like old folks, and if you like helping people, you should consider this as a possibility. Trust me, more people are living longer -- so this is a career that will be booming, not dying out!


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    February 11 – National Shut-In Visitation Day

    Posted on February 11, 2016


    Back in 1900, only 4% of Americans were age 65 or older. A century later, in 2000, three times that many (12%) of Americans were age 65 or older. Now it's up to 14%.

    That means that about one in every seven Americans are senior citizens.

    Some elderly people are “shut-ins” – people who can no longer drive, who have difficulty walking or getting around, who basically stay in their homes. Some disabled people, too, are largely homebound. 


    Whatever the reason, shut-ins can be lonely or depressed, and many of them have difficulty getting groceries, cooking, and so forth.


    It's a grand idea to have a day to encourage people to identify people who are shut-ins within their own community. Once identified, it would be super grand if people would visit and perhaps bring a meal to each shut-in.

    Hopefully the visits would not be just a once-a-year thing; once you find a shut-in who needs help, it would be amazing to offer that help once or twice a month. And shut-ins often treasure simple visits as much or more than help with meals.



    Meals on Wheels is one way to donate money and time to shut-ins. 

















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    March 17 – Wellderly Day

    Posted on March 17, 2014

    How do we treat the oldest people in our society? Today is the day to consider the wellbeing—mental, emotional, and physical—of elderly people. If you have older relatives in your family, a visit or call is a great idea. Even more amazing would be starting a new tradition or recording stories of “the good old days” so you can learn some of your own family history!

    Check out this story about how a senior citizen helps make kids in her community happy—and how they have returned the favor. 


    Zoom provides some ideas for how kids can help seniors. And Pennies of Time has some more great ideas. 


    A great program that has begun is the Granny Cloud. Grandmothers and other adults (largely seniors) are able to Skype with children in various parts in the world, encouraging, nurturing, praising—and by their attention, helping those kids to learn! Check it out! 

    Some people say that Wellderly Day (and all week), we should encourage elderly people NOT to “act their age,” and to celebrate those who don't “act their age.” But I think maybe we should redefine what “acting like an 80 year old” means! Maybe “acting like an 80 year old” means playing card games with grandkids, dancing around the living room every time music is on, and hanging out with friends as much as possible! Maybe “acting like at 85 year old” means learning to hoop, dressing up for Halloween, and trying new foods!


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