Staying active is important during all parts of life, but it becomes especially important as we age. Active seniors tend to experience fewer health problems, live longer lives, and keep feelings like loneliness at bay.
For seniors in Tallahassee memory care, it can be easy to let activity levels drop. Sometimes, seniors in memory care need a little help to find ways to move around that they enjoy. Here are four ways to help seniors in Tallahassee memory care stay active.
1. Ensure They Have Planned Activities
One of the easiest ways to ensure seniors stay active is to plan activities for their day. Fun activities can come in many forms, including visits or walks with fellow residents, attending events at the facility, or going out and about for off-site activities.
Family members can help their loved ones put together a monthly or weekly calendar that has a healthy amount of activity. The goal is to keep the senior busy without overwhelming them.
Planned activities not only keep seniors active, but they give them something to look forward to and plan their day around. Families, friends, and memory care staff can help plan activities for seniors.
2. Encourage New Hobbies
It is a common misconception that seniors in memory care cannot pick up new hobbies or learn new skills. Seniors should be encouraged to engage in lifelong learning, regardless of their memory issues, as memory loss does not occur in a straight line.
Sometimes seniors fail to remember names but can perfectly remember a new skill they learned. Furthermore, introducing new hobbies to seniors experiencing memory issues can stimulate brain activity and may even lessen memory loss symptoms.
Seniors can also be encouraged to pick up new hobbies that don’t rely on learning a new skill. For example, dog walking or volunteering at a soup kitchen can be fulfilling for seniors and are great ways to stay active while benefiting the community.
If a senior takes an interest in a new hobby, try to encourage them to incorporate it into their everyday life and stay active.
3. Plan Frequent Visits
When seniors are in memory care facilities, frequent visits from family and friends are a wonderful way to keep them active. The visitors can partake in events and activities or simply take a walk with their loved ones.
Frequent social interaction will not only keep the senior’s mind stimulated, but it can also boost their mood, encouraging further activity and preventing them from falling into a rut.
4. Encourage Exercise
Exercise is critically important for seniors with memory loss. Lack of exercise can lead to a host of health problems, including acceleration of memory loss.
For seniors, particularly seniors with memory loss, getting an adequate level of exercise each day can be a real challenge. Oftentimes, seniors experience declining mobility, which can discourage exercise. In addition, seniors in memory care may simply forget whether they’ve taken their daily walk or not.
Exercise can be encouraged by signing seniors up for exercise classes, which staff can help them attend. In addition, family and friends can plan visits around exercise. Taking a walk around the facility together is a chance to stay active and connect with loved ones.
If a senior has severe mobility issues, they may benefit from care at one of the many skilled nursing facilities in Tallahassee, FL. Skilled nursing services can help seniors manage their mobility and address health concerns with therapy and rehabilitation. Be sure to talk to a skilled physician before changing exercise habits for the best care.
Tallahassee Memory Care
Tallahassee is a wonderful place to seek memory care for a loved one. The warm weather makes it easier to keep seniors active year-round, and Tallahassee has a strong community of dedicated memory staff to keep your loved one healthy and safe.
