TIPS WHEN SPENDING TIME WITH YOUR SENIOR LOVED ONE
Seniors living at assisted and memory care facilities often suffer from mental health issues that are a direct result of isolation. Lack of interactions with other people can trigger the signs of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. One of the most effective ways to prevent the development of mental health issues caused by a lack of social interactions is for loved ones to spend time with their seniors. However, spending an hour a week with a loved one at an assisted living facility in Portland is not enough of a commitment.
Let’s review six tips for spending time with your loved one at a senior living facility in Portland.
Bring Along a Pet
Numerous studies have documented the mental and physical medicinal benefits delivered by domesticated animals such as cats and dogs. Interacting with a pet should boost your loved one’s mood, while at the same time alleviating the stress that is often triggered by living in an assisted living facility. MorningStar at Laurelhurst offers a pet-friendly environment, which includes allowing our residents to keep their furry friends with them during their stays.
Field Trip
Although MorningStar at Laurelhurst offers residents a jam-packed events and activities calendar, we encourage loved ones to plan field trips with their seniors to venues located in the greater Portland, Oregon metro area. Whether you visit a museum or enjoy a leisurely lunch, interacting with your senior loved one outside of our facility represents a great way to spend quality time together.
Cooks Meals
Nothing promotes a social ambiance more than cooking a meal with a loved one. Cooking a meal is the perfect time to have conversations that range from serious to much more informal discussions about topics. You can cook meals with your senior in one of the kitchens we have constructed for each room or have your senior loved one over to cook a dinner for the entire family.
Board Games
Boredom is one of the most common challenges for seniors to overcome at assisted living and memory care facilities in Portland. You can help alleviate boredom by engaging your senior loved one during the playing of board games. Research studies indicate both puzzles and board games keep seniors mentally alert, which can prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms. Even better, play a board game such as Monopoly that includes your senior loved one’s new friends at our senior living facility.
Nature Walks
Another way to enhance the mood of a senior loved one is to interact with nature. Going on nature walks with a senior loved one is just what the doctor ordered to mitigate the negative impacts of stress and anxiety. You can go on a walk that leads to a popular bird-watching destination one day, and then another day mix it up a bit by walking to a prime location for stargazing.
Movie Night
As we grow older, one of the lifestyle choices that we make involves watching our favorite movies and television shows. Although movie night is a popular activity planned at senior living facilities in Portland, you can take it to the next level by spending time with your senior loved one by watching movies together. Cap off movie night with a shared snack to encourage conversation. MorningStar’s assisted living and memory care facilities across the United States have earned the reputation for serving seniors with unbridled passion. Discover what makes MorningStar at Laurelhurst the premier home for seniors by connecting with one of our professionally trained representatives.