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Home healthcare can truly be a challenge because it is easy to run out of things to do with your elderly companion, but you can make sure that your home healthcare patient is always 100% occupied by following our top 10 things to do with the people who are in your care.
There are many simple card games that you can learn to play quickly with your home healthcare patients. If your patient has a hard time seeing or cannot read well anymore, consider investing in some large sized playing cards that are easier to see and hold.
While scrapbooking may be difficult for some seniors, it is never a bad time to look at old scrapbooks. This is a great way to learn more about your patient, where they came from, and what life was like when they were younger. Bonus: looking at scrapbooks and photo albums will help your patient remember days gone by, even if they have dementia.
Animals are perfect for therapy, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a therapist to make use of them. Consider bringing over a fun puppy or calm older dog for your patient to play with. Dogs can really take your mind off of things and can help your patient put a smile on. A furry friend provides hours of endless fun.
It may not be reasonable to have your patient out in the yard on a 100 degree day planting bulbs and pulling up weeds, but yard work can really be anything. As long as the temperatures are mild, head outside to water the yard, rake leaves or just sweep off a porch. Bring a chair out for your patient and do some of the weeding for them.
Do you need a few minutes to get the housework done and don’t want to leave your patient alone and bored? Pop an audio book into a CD player and crank the volume up. You’ll have something to entertain you while you’re scrubbing down the kitchen and your patient will be able to feel like they are truly reading, without the strain that actual reading puts on their eyes.
Rubber stamps and ink can make a fun and easy craft activity. All you need are inexpensive rubber stamps, ink pads and paper to do it on. Even if nobody ever sees the designs you and your patient make, it will give you something to do and create.
A great way to keep your patient active and living a healthy lifestyle is to play catch. You don’t need to go all out and get the best baseball and mitt combination out there. All you need is a small bean bag, a soft ball or anything that is able to be tossed easily back and forth. This activity can actually be calming to the mind.
There are many different jigsaw puzzles that you can choose from. Some have larger pieces and some have tons of small pieces. If your patient is elderly, they may have trouble seeing the edges of the small pieces. Consider finding a puzzle that is just right for you and your patient.
It is amazing what a change a little organization can make. Consider organizing a closet, books or even picture albums. If you don’t have the best organization skills, look for tips like organize by date, color, or even size.
Just because your patient needs help around the house doesn’t mean that they should be sitting there bored while you are doing the housework. If laundry is part of your duties, consider asking your patient to fold it with you. It is something that they can do while sitting and will allow them to feel like they are helping.
Does your home healthcare patient get bored? Which ones do you think will work the best for you and your patient to keep them from being bored? If you’ve tried any of these activities to keep them occupied, let us know.
Are you interested in opening your own home healthcare business? If so, check out how to start a home healthcare business.Â
