2007-03-18 15:47:42 · 7 answers · asked by thash64 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
I agree with the people who say, ask the people! I volunteer with the elderly and it always depends on their activity level. Some people like to go out to museums and walk around through them, but for some that's too much. I don't know if you have access to planning a bus tour but that's always popular with my group! I also have a huge response when we do sing alongs. It may sound cheesy, but we never call it a sing along. We just have a group come out, and I'll start singing songs randomly and people will always join me and I love love love to see the smiles. Inevitably someone will always take over for me and it just will turn into an hour or two of an "impromptu" planned sing along. We also play card games like Euchre and Bridge and the rest of the classics. I always have a puzzle out for the people who like to be alone but with people around...
Some elderly are very sedentary and unfortunately confined too much to do much of anything. This can present a problem, so sometimes my sister and I will go in and give manicures to the women and just chat or offer to read something to them. For the men we do the same minus the manicure.
One time we had a piano player come in and play songs of the 1920s and had a dance. It was fabulous! I'm sure it would be just as fun to have a dance in a living room with a few people and an old time CD!
2007-03-19 08:11:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Bingo is definitely a sure bet. Elderly people also enjoy playing cards e.g. Euchre, Bridge, Pinochle, Cribbage, Spades & Hearts, if they have in the past played cards already. They generally love shuffleboard and if available, lawn bowling. They also enjoy listening to stories being told by others. Going to movies and dining out. If they are creative, they enjoy joining in with sewing or knitting groups or quilting B's. Overall, the elderly generally enjoy interacting with others. They like to feel they are still needed and wanted which gives them that sense of worth. Definitely find out what their interests are and look for groups or elderly community associations to get them to get-together with others of their own age as well. Making new friends for many is still quite an enjoyable pastime as well.
Hope this helps.
2007-03-18 16:38:32 · answer #2 · answered by Wendy (from Ottawa, Canada) 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm with crabby_blindguy. Why not ask the "elderly" themselves what they'd like to do?
You would be surprised. Just because someone has more birthday candles on their cake than you doesn't mean they want to sit at a bingo table all day, or that they're unable to tell you what they want.
My husband's grandfather is 96 and still enjoys playing golf and going to baseball games. No bingo for him!
2007-03-19 05:25:13 · answer #3 · answered by sylvia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know this is going to sound dumb but elederly folks love Bingo!
Also, another activity elderly folks love is a nice country drive.
Finally, elderly folks love watching people dance.
2007-03-18 15:59:27 · answer #4 · answered by Mike Sugarwood 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you ask the "elderly folks?" I'm quite sure they can speak for themselves--if you bother to listen.
2007-03-18 19:09:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
While the best way to find out is to ask, if they're "undecided", have a "prom". We did that with our service organization for a local nursing home, and the residents loved it. They taught our members the dances from their time, and they had sometimg fun to do.
2007-03-22 09:29:10 · answer #6 · answered by Beth 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
have you thought about pet day. its been proven that pets lower blood pressure and have other health benefits. you should try rotating all the ideas stated here. i think they are nice . and to all the people here that had negative comments, be nice. atleast someone cares and are trying to help. alot of older people(not all) are put in nursing homes and forgotten.
2007-03-22 12:11:05 · answer #7 · answered by iwill 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋