Look at some of the best ways to ensure your mom is happy while living along. August is Happiness Happens Month, which makes it a good time to do just that. With these five ideas, you can make sure your mom avoids the loneliness and isolation that some older adults experience while aging at home.
Call or Video Chat Regularly
As she ages at home, your mom’s socialization depends on a few things. If she still drives, she’ll be able to get out some. She may have friends and neighbors living nearby. If she doesn’t, she may start to experience loneliness.
You can help ease these feelings by calling or video chatting with her as often as your schedule allows. If she’s given a chance to talk to someone each day, it will be a little easier.
Get Her Involved in Volunteering
Volunteering is a good way to keep your mom from feeling lonely. She can volunteer at a local organization or online. Hospitals, museums, and public libraries often look for volunteers to help guide visitors, put items away, or collect entry fees.
Online, she could go to the National Archives online project and help tag photos or transcribe old documents and letters. The Smithsonian Institute needs online volunteers to build Wikipedia entries and transcribe documents.
Learn a New Hobby Together
Join your mom at her house and learn a new hobby. Purchase the supplies needed to paint and follow along to an instructional YouTube video. Learn to knit blankets or hats that you can donate to the homeless or a neonatal ward.
Leave Surprises
When you stop by, tuck surprise gifts in unexpected areas. Don’t tell her. Let her find them randomly. They don’t have to be expensive gifts. You could hide drawings her grandchildren or great-grandchildren do.
You could leave photos tucked in books, leave her favorite wrapped candy hidden in a cupboard, or hide her favorite pint of ice cream in the freezer. Tuck a book you know she’s been wanting to read on her bookshelf. Whatever you know she’d like, surprise her with it.
Hire Caregivers for Companionship
Caregivers are the key to keeping your mom from feeling alone. Schedule their visits once a week, a few times a week, or every day. Talk to your mom to find what she’d prefer.
You can have caregivers stop to provide companionship, help with meals, take her shopping, or assist with housekeeping and laundry. Schedule services by calling an agency.