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March 13, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

8 Springtime Activities for People with Limited Mobility

For most people, warmer spring weather brings with it the opportunity to get outside and get active – enjoying activities like running, biking, and hiking. But for people with limited mobility, such activities bring challenges and limitations.

If you have an aging loved one with physical limitations, just know that there are still many springtime activities that can keep them active and bring joy to their lives – you just have to get creative! Take a look at some of our favorite springtime activities for people with limited mobility.

  1. Fresh Air and New Scenery

Among the biggest joys of spring is simply fresh air and new scenery. As the weather warms, this provides the opportunity to get outside – but it doesn’t have to take you far! For those with limited mobility, driving to a local park and finding a nearby bench will still offer the fresh air and new sights, without the demands of physically walking there. Another alternative is enjoying outdoor time on your own property by setting up chairs on your porch or in your backyard.

  1. Counting Wildlife

One activity that will let you enjoy nature, even if you can’t get outside, is counting wildlife. The best way to enjoy this activity is to install a bird feeder near a window. As your wildlife friends pay a visit each day, get to know them. Make note of the birds and squirrels who stop by, what they look like and possibly even give them their own names. Journaling this activity will give you a fun memory to look back on.

  1. Coloring Springtime Pictures

When spring showers hit, you’ll need some activities that can take place indoors – which is great for people with limited mobility. One of the biggest trends right now is adult coloring books. These coloring books feature beautiful, intricate images which you can then color with colored pencils. This season, look for springtime inspired coloring books that capture the beauty of nature, even if you’re stuck indoors.

  1. Flower Arranging

If your aging loved one is experiencing limited mobility and can’t get outdoors, offer to bring a small gift of spring to them. Grow and purchase a variety of flowers (loose, not in a bouquet) and as part of your visit, arrange these flowers in a vase. Work together, taking turns, to place a flower wherever you want it. The collaboration of styles will create a fond memory your loved one can enjoy for weeks to come.

  1. Visual Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great activity to get people up and moving, but for those with limited mobility, a visual scavenger hunt can be just as enjoyable. Help create a list of creative (even tricky!) items that you’re likely to see out the windows of your loved one’s home. Be specific, so instead of just “bird” say “Robin.” This will help to keep the activity lasting longer and will provide your loved one with someone to fill their time, and get them gazing outside, for hours.

  1. Spring Cookie Decorating

Are you looking for an activity that will also result in a delicious treat? Cookie decorating is the perfect idea! You can choose to bake your cookies in advance and bring them over, or make baking part of the activity. Then, enjoy slowly decorating each cookie with a variety of colors and elements that turns each one into a springtime masterpiece! Be sure to remember the coffee or tea, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor together.

  1. Reading Together

This is another great activity for a rainy, spring day. Read together! Your loved one may do a lot of reading on his or her own, but how often do they get to share this joy with someone else? Take turns reading their favorite short story, or a chapter from a book aloud. This activity will create a wonderful memory and also stimulate them mentally.

  1. Spring Greeting Cards

As a final activity you may wish you try with an aging loved one with limited mobility, consider making spring greeting cards. Think of family, friends, or neighbors who may enjoy such a card and work together to create a unique springtime design on the front. Then, complete it with a sweet message from you both. Allow your loved one to sign, seal, and stamp the envelopes. Then place them in the mailbox.

What activity will you try with your aging loved one this spring? Or do you have another idea to share? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: activities, aging adult, aging loved one, camp hill, caregiver, elderly, ella home care, harrisburg, hershey, home care, ideas, in home care, in home health care, lemoyne, mechanicsburg, PA, pennsylvania, professional caregiver, season, senior, senior activities, spring

March 12, 2018 by Kirk Brechbiel

Spring Cleaning Tips for Seniors

For seniors who are living independently, your spring cleaning can be a point of stress and frustration in your life. You know the tasks need to get done around the house, but with each passing year your physical ability to complete them may decrease.

We want to offer you some tips for helping take control of your spring cleaning and turn it into a reasonable, and dare we say enjoyable task that can involve the whole family. Take a look!

  1. Prioritize Your Most Important Projects

It can be overwhelming to think about deep cleaning every corner of your entire house. So don’t! Let’s be honest, your house will never be 100% free and clear of dust or clutter. Rather, prioritize the rooms that are used daily and in most need of a good cleaning. Your living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom are great places to start. Other rooms like your guest room or basement, are not nearly as urgent.

  1. Tackle One Room at a Time

With your list of prioritized rooms, start with just one. Don’t feel like you need to spring clean four rooms in your house in one day. First, you won’t have the time to really dig into the corners of any of them. Second, you will surely get tired and could put yourself as risk for an injury. Make it a goal to tackle one room in a day (or over many days) before you start on the next room.

  1. Have the Right Tools on Hand

When you have the right tools, cleaning is so much easier! Make note of any items you need like scrub brushes, cloths, cleaning products, step stools and long reaching dusters. With the right tools you will protect yourself from injury and greatly reduce fatigue and frustration from trying to clean with inadequate tools.

  1. Ask for Help

For many, this will be the most important piece of advice. Ask for help! Spring cleaning is hard on anyone, especially seniors. Your family and friends want you to be safe and will gladly step in to help you. Plus, when you tackle these chores together, they will be done in a fraction of the time and you will make some new memories along the way.

  1. Make It Enjoyable

Speaking of making memories, use your spring cleaning as a time to bond with your friends and family. Sure, it’s still cleaning, but by playing music, taking snack breaks and setting a reward (like a movie night!), you will be motived to knock these tasks off your list with a smile.

How do you plan to tackle your spring cleaning this year? Share your ideas or ask a question by leaving a comment below!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: advice, aging loved one, clean, cleaning, elderly, ella home care, help, ideas, organize, seniors, spring, spring cleaning, springtime, tips

March 2, 2018 by Kirk Brechbiel

10 Spring Activities to Enjoy at Any Age

Whether the weather today feels like it or not, we are inching closer toward those warm spring days! Soon we will have many more reasons to want to get outside and soak up the season. No matter your age or physical abilities, there are many activities you can take part in this spring. Here’s our top ten list of spring activities to enjoy at any age!

  1. Arrange a Bouquet – Depending upon your loved one’s physical abilities, you can take a stroll around a park and pick wild flowers together. Or, bring some fresh flowers with you on your next visit. Spend time together arranging a beautiful bouquet to be placed in their home. Every time they see these flowers they will think of you and your time together!
  2. Bake a Spring Dessert – Get inspired by the fresh produce of the season and bake a springtime treat. Use can use fresh berries to garnish a cake or make sugar cookies and decorate them with flowers made out of frosting. This activity is sure to be as good on the soul as it is on the taste buds!
  3. Stroll a Nature Trail – Get outside together and take a stroll along a nature trail, or in any green space around you. Walk slowly and notice all the new flowers and wildlife waking up again after their long winter’s nap.
  4. Make Spring Decorations – You will find endless inspiration on Pinterest for spring crafts and decorations. Pick something that fits your skill level and taste in décor. Great options include wreaths, garden flags or centerpieces to make your home feel ready for spring.
  5. Eat Outside – When visiting your loved one, suggest you take your meal or snack outside. Enjoy time together on a park bench or picnic table. The fresh hair, spring sounds and warm sun will be the perfect combination to lift the spirits!
  6. Hang a Birdfeeder – Help your loved one fill and hang a birdfeeder within easy view. They will be able to continuously enjoy their feathery friends stopping by. Be sure to have ample feed on hand and help refill the feeder every time you visit.
  7. People Watch at a Park – Get out to a local park and find a warm and sunny spot to sit for a while. Enjoy watching people pass by and children play. You can even turn it into a game of counting people, birds, dogs or anything else!
  8. Plant a Herb Garden – Maintaining a large outside garden is not reasonable for most seniors, but an inside herb garden is perfect! It’s easy to maintain these little potted plants and they are very easy to harvest whenever you need them to add some flavor to a dish.
  9. Take Your Visits to the Porch – Suggest sitting on the porch to talk or play games. Even if it’s raining outside, you will still enjoy all the sights and sounds of nature that you would otherwise miss inside.
  10. Press Flowers – Another creative way to make use of those fresh spring flowers is to press them between two sheets of wax paper. Carefully lay out each flower and firmly press. For best results, press them overnight under a heavy object like a book. Once flattened, you can use them to make a bookmark, decorate a card or anything else to add a little touch of spring!

Share the spring activities you plan to partake in this this year. How will you include your aging loved one in these activities? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: activities, aging loved one, all ages, crafts, decorations, elderly, ella home care, fun, ideas, inspiration, senior, spring, springtime

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