Aged to Perfection

Autumn is a wonderful time of year filled with fall colours, harvest crops, hearty comfort food, warm fuzzy sweaters, and long walks rustling your feet through the leaves. Really, all the sights, sounds and smells of fall time are lovely! Even during these unprecedented times, why not try a fun and festive activity with an elderly loved one.

Here are Five Fun Activities to try this Fall Season!

1) Prepare Homemade Treats

Baking, mixing and preparing treats are fun activities that many older adults enjoy. You can follow a family recipe or flip through some cookbooks to discover new recipes. You can make something as simple as apple crisp or a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake. Another idea is decorating sugar cookies with your loved one! If baking is too messy, you can always pre-bake the cookies and just decorate them with your elderly loved one. 

To follow social distancing rules, you can prep and make these treats for your loved ones and surprise them with a special delivery. Another idea is prepping and decorating premade cookies outside on a nice sunny autumn day. 

2) Pumpkin carvings and painting

Pumpkin carvings are a must tradition every fall season. You can carve all sorts of patterns on pumpkins but if carving is too much strain on wrists and hands you can always introduce painting on pumpkins to your elderly loved one. You can have an assortment of paint colours to design a unique pumpkin and then you can put them on display so that everyone can see. This is a great activity you can do outside and from a distance with your loved one. 

3) Enjoy the natural scenery and fresh air

Bundle up and breathe the fresh autumn air! You can go on a short walk in the park to admire the beautiful coloured leaves that fall brings. You can go to a local park like Victoria or Waterloo Park and walk a scenic trail hearing the crunch of the fallen leaves under your feet.

If you can’t take your loved one out too far why not go somewhere nearby? You can relax in the backyard, front porch, or go on a short walk to pick up the mail. If it’s too cold outside for your loved one, you can always go on a relaxing country drive to see all the colours or simply open up some windows and blinds to let the fresh air inside.

4) Get festive with fall decorations

Crafting and decorating are always fun activities! With proper social distancing rules, you can help an elderly loved one to decorate their home with fall colours. You can introduce neat craft ideas with dried up fallen leaves, such as collecting them to make cards.

5) Hang out online

If visiting your loved one in person is not an option, you should consider an online hang out! There are several ways you can connect online with your family member. You can video call your loved one, play an online game together, or watch a movie! 

This autumn season introduces a new activity to your elderly loved one - it may be cooler weather - but it's a lovely season to spend quality time with friends and family.

It’s a beautiful summer day, and you want to enjoy the gorgeous weather with your elderly parent or grandparent; the big question is, what can you do together safely? Even with social distancing and other COVID-19 rules, there are activities you can enjoy with your elderly loved one. 

While the heat and sunshine sometimes send the elderly indoors, there are safe ways to enjoy the summer weather (in small doses!). Be sure to select days that are not too hot or humid and remain in the shade as much as possible. Drink lots of water and ensure your loved one is wearing a hat and loose-fitting clothing. Once all the precautions to stay cool are in place, you can enjoy some summer fun activities outdoors!

Here are 7 activities that will appeal to older generations and that will spark reminiscing of summers gone by.

1. Watch the Sunset at the Beach — regardless of age, watching the sunset shimmering over the water can be relaxing. If your loved one is up for a challenge, go for a walk along the beach and collect seashells, or build a sandcastle. If the beach is too far away, watch the sunset over the Grand River, or the ponds at your local park.

2. Play a Game Golf — for avid golfers who can no longer handle the demands of an 18-hole golf course, mini-golf is a great option to enjoy putting, without the twisting action of driving the ball. However, if your loved one can still play a game of golf, call your local golf course to schedule a tee time. 

3. Make Lemonade from Scratch — this would have been the only way to have lemonade 70 or 80 years ago! Your elderly loved ones may even remember a favourite family recipe. You can always modify the recipe to accommodate diabetic needs by reducing sugar or replacing sugar with sweeteners.

4. Go Fishing — many grandfathers have taken their children and grandchildren on fishing expeditions. Now, it might be your turn to take your grandfather out fishing. Tip: fishing off a pier or stable dock might be more accessible (i.e.: able to use a walker or wheelchair) than fishing from a boat or riverside.

5. Have a Picnic at the Park — a good old-fashioned picnic basket filled with favourite treats will always bring a smile! You can be sure to accommodate special dietary requirements when packing the picnic basket. Be sure to look for a picnic table or bring along a lawn chair (sitting directly on the ground might be difficult; getting up from the ground could be even harder!).

6. See a Movie at the Drive-In Theatre — this will feel like a flash from the past! Drive-In theatres still operate and often feature classic movies from varying eras. The drive-in has many benefits for the elderly—they can remain in a comfortable seat in the car, they don’t have to fight any crowds on foot, and the volume can be set to the level that suits their hearing. Of course, it does mean a late night out, but that’s all part of the fun!

7. Pick Wildflowers — who doesn't love a vase full of fresh flowers? It’s even better when you pick the flowers yourself and create the arrangement! Best of all, this fun summer activity doesn’t cost a penny.

If your elderly loved one is homebound and tech-savvy, you can connect with them online. Take your video call outside! A weekly video call to share summer stories and photos can be a great way to enjoy this summer. 

Hopefully, you now have an idea or two of a fun, lighthearted way to spend time with elderly relatives even during these times.  Comment and share with us your summer fun ideas!