With the holiday season only a few weeks away, most elderly people may be feeling the blues, mainly because they haven’t seen their loved ones for so long due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Some of them are feeling lonely and isolated, saddened that they can no longer spend their weekends taking care of their grandchildren or having dinner with their kids. So what can you do to make them feel special and happy enough to improve their well being? Here are some ideas:
Send Them Letters
Younger adults can quickly do a video call or send a text to ease some of the boredom they may feel. For older adults who may not be tech-savvy, the best way to communicate with them is by sending them a handwritten letter. It will make them feel special to know that someone is thinking of them. Make sure to make it personal. It will also help if you can write in a slightly bigger font so it will be easier for them to read it, mainly if they have issues with their vision. If you have a printer at home, enclose a picture of the whole family and include details about when it was taken.
If you can’t print a picture from your home, you can upload the images to Walmart.com’s photo center and send a request to print and mail the photos to your grandparent’s address. Your grandparents will appreciate that you took the time to compose a letter to update them on what has been going on. If they can still write, encourage them to write back.
Call Them
If you have the time and they have access to a telephone, call them. Your grandparents will love to hear your voice at the other end of the line. Set a regular schedule for this so they can have some time to expect every week. When you have the call, it is best to gather your family members around, so it will be easier to take turns and update your grandparents about the latest events in the past week. Make sure to ask them about the activities they did in the last few days and encourage them to write your life story. While it may not seem much, it will help boost your grandparent’s memory.
Surprise Them With Gifts
Grandparents typically don’t need much. When you ask them what they want to have, material things are often the last thing on their mind. However, it is still a good idea to surprise them with gifts. If they don’t tell you what they need, you can take cues from the stories that they tell you. Perhaps they said to you that they’ve run out of yarn for their embroidery, and they’ve been spending more time reading. You can give them a set of threads so they can complete their project. You can check out GiftGivingToday.com for some of the best gift ideas to surprise your grandmother.
Cook for Them
If you happen to drop by their home for a quick visit, you can instantly make them feel special by cooking and sharing a special meal with them. It will be nice to call them ahead and see if you can pick up groceries for them. This way, you can have the assurance that you will have something to cook when you get there. Sometimes, coming unannounced can only stress them out because they may feel guilty for not preparing enough for you.
There are a dozen more things that you can do for your grandparent. Sometimes, you just have to make that extra effort to reach out. Spending some time with your grandparents is not only healthy for them, but for you as well.