By Anna Hazard
Introduction
The time for turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkie pies, and gatherings around a laden table grows ever closer, and so in preparation here are a collection of senior friendly crafts that are suitable for decorating the thanksgiving table. All crafts have a thanksgiving, harvest festival, or autumn theme and do not require high levels of hand dexterity or strength. Feel free to make preparations ahead of time for more intricate parts of the tutorials that may require it (such as hollowing out pumpkins or pre-cutting branches).
Crafts
0 Comments
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
For many seniors, autumn is a good time of year to enjoy outdoor activities. Temperatures tend to be mild compared to the potential heat waves of summer and have yet to drop to the freezing temperatures that send most people sheltering indoors for the winter. In addition, the seasonal displays of fall foliage and produce harvests make outdoor ventures an additional treat for the eyes.
Here are a sampling of seasonal autumnal activities that are suitable for seniors or others with mobility issues. Additional links to sites within the Maryland area where these events can be enjoyed have also been included.
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
It's nearly time for ghosts & goblins to take to the streets once more. Halloween is a holiday that can be celebrated by those of many different ages and so here is a mini-guide to crafts appropriate for children & seniors alike. These crafts can perform double duty as both a recreational activity as well as functioning as indoor or outdoor holiday decor once the end of the month has come around. This collection focuses on tutorials suitable for those with hand dexterity or strength issues.
Crafts
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
As temperatures cool and leaves begin to turn to brilliant colors, a new source of inspiration and crafting supplies becomes available. Here are a selection of autumn themed easy-to-do crafts suitable for seniors that make good use of seasonally available materials. Many of these do-it-yourself items can pull double duty as general fall decor as well as being incorporated with upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations.
Crafts
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
Summer is a time of year where people of all ages tend to be on the go and spending much more time outside than during the chillier months and so these crafts focus on items suitable for outside decorations & activities. Tutorials focus on designs that use common household objects and which can be made with relative ease for beginners or for those with strength or hand dexterity issues.
Please always keep safety in mind when it comes to those crafts that require open flames or the melting of materials.
By Anna Hazard
View the Rest of the Series
Part 2 : Pre-Made
Introduction
Whether it's at school, at the office, or during any of the other myriad times when stress or anxiety may rear it's ugly head, the use of stress relief toys has become quite popular. Caregiving with its many responsibilities is a well known source of much worry and thus tension relieving activities and objects are often prescribed. Patients and loved ones who are sick, disabled, or otherwise frail enough to require specific caregiving can also be under a great deal of stress.
The following stress relief toys & objects would be good for use with with caregivers or for those seniors who tend to fidget with their hands or would otherwise benefit from tactile or other sensory stimulation. Many DIY versions would also make good craft activities for seniors, children, or the whole family depending upon the exact level of hand dexterity & technique required. While many tutorials are only available in only one style or another, some tutorials include video demonstrations as well as written instructions. Do It Yourself
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
With the coming of long, warm, and sunny days, it's a good opportunity for seniors, as well as their caregivers, to take some of their recreational activities outside to soak up some rays and take advantage of the good weather for the next couple of months. In particular, sun exposure helps to generate Vitamin D within the body, a vitamin that tends to be inefficiently produced as one grows older and which many seniors are deficient in during the colder months.
However, remember to keep senior loved ones properly hydrated as temperatures rise and activities increase, especially as the perception of thirst can diminish with age. This, as well as the decline in a body's ability to regulate and adjust to temperature, and the presence of other health problems & further complications arising from other medicines being taken, makes seniors particularly susceptible to temperature related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
As the 4th of July grows near, here are an assortment of inexpensive crafts of varying skill levels that are suitable for seniors, children, or others with hand dexterity issues. Those with hand strength problems may wish to skip or receive assistance with craft styles that use breakables such as glass or make use of heavier materials such as buckets or cans.
Crafts are a fun pass time that can pull double-duty as both indoor & outdoor decor to show off your elderly loved one's patriotic spirit during the upcoming holiday or throughout the rest of the year.
By Anna Hazard
Introduction
With spring in the air and a spring to everyone's step (not to mention all the leftover supplies unearthed due to spring cleaning), it's time to whip up some seasonal decorations that will be a fun & healthy way for your senior loved ones (or anyone else in a crafty mood) to pass their time.
Most crafts can be made with supplies found around the house or with a few additional & inexpensive supplements for certain styles & tutorials (such as foam forms, special terrarium plants, or just a bit of iron-on hemtape to avoiding sewing).
By Anna Hazard
View the Rest of the Series
Part 2 - Diet & Allergies
Introduction
With the advent of spring and more welcoming weather, people are coming out of their own inside hibernation during the past winter months. Now that the temperatures are more co-operative, seniors as well should take advantage of the chances for outside exercise, as the greater exposure to sunlight helps in the production of Vitamin D, something that the body produces less and less efficiently as one ages and which can often fall below the healthy threshold for seniors during winter months.
|
AboutNews updates, tips, and guides on senior care, senior health, stress relief and a host of other caregiving related topics from the professionals at Ella Stewart Care. |