Seniors as they get older may feel comfortable to stay at home. Some of them will be independent within their familiar surroundings but may feel bored at home. Some of them need minimal to moderate help to do their day to day activities because of their health condition. Some of them may need total assistance and may be bed bound due to severe disability due to the deterioration in their health condition. In all the above three situations one may feel lonely, boredom and depressed if they don’t have a proper inspiring companion or caregiver.

In order to keep the Senior Citizen active we can formulate certain recreational activities to keep them physically and mentally fit and keep them happy. We can try the following methodology whichever works depending upon the individual’s interest:

1. Seniors who are independent and active inside their home:

a. Explore the world via the world wide web- Computer games, facebook/twitter/emails/skype to stay connected with friends and families and make new friends with similar interests, whatsapp with friends and family, Listen to the lectures/discourses/talks/songs of their interests in the computer or laptop with speakers attached
b. Start a Book Club – Read books with big fonts or magnifying glass or digital books with large fonts and discuss with the club members through a skype call or conference call about the characters in the book that they are focusing on.
c. Puzzle, board games ( chess, snake and ladder, chinese checker, scrabble),solitaire, jigsaw puzzle, carom board, cards etc.
d. Work from home if they are still able to do that for couple of hours a day
e. Write a letter or call someone and speak to them on several topics that are interesting for them.
f. Tinker- Able to fix little things at home and have a sense of fulfillment
g. Painting, drawing, home indoor gardening, listening to the music
h. Hire a care giver/companion to give company and have a partner to play several indoor games.
i. Start a new hobby

2. Seniors who need minimal to moderate help for day to day activities:

a. Caregiver to help in personal hygiene, walking, dining, bathing etc.
b. Formulate a recreational activity that gives interest to that Senior. For e.g. To listen to a good music for one hour in the morning, then do exercises for all the joints followed by walking inside the house with the help of a walker or a cane, then do a little writing or drawing or painting for another hour, then listen to a book or a magazine read by their care giver, then play chess or carom for another hour in the evening and go in the backyard or outside in the wheelchair to get some fresh air and watch their favourite program in the television.

3. Seniors who are bed bound and need total assistance:

a. Bed should be closer to the window so that they can see outside for birds, people, traffic, workers doing some painting or road repair work so that they stay connected to the outside world.
b. Keep a big clock and a large print daily calendar for them to look
c. Put soft music/lectures/discourses/talk for them to listen
These are the few tips to maintain a healthy, happy quality of life among the home bound Senior citizens.

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