How to Make the Most of Your Time with the Elderly

Before I had my daughter I worked for a senior care company for over a year. I started as a care giver doing hands on care with our elderly clients. We had all ranges of abilities, from clients who just needed someone to talk with to those clients that needed someone to bathe them. I became an on call manager in addition to care giving and answered phones after hours, dealing with client concerns. I then transitioned into the office doing staffing and worked directly with clients and their families. Based on my experiences with this company I have come up with a list of ways to interact with the elderly to better their lives and make the most of the moments we have with them.

As a care giver, I received the most praise and feedback from cooking with and for clients. Our clients and their families loved that a care giver would take the time to prepare something for them. A good way to start is to have the client or their family pass on some favorite recipes. I find this is especially appreciated if the person can longer cook for themselves. Instead of having to eat something someone else made, they get something they like cooked for them. You can also find out what foods they like and cook a recipe for them. The website Allrecipes.com has a great feature that allows you to do an ingredient search for recipes. People that are able to help love it when you encourage them to help with preparing a meal.

Games are also a great way to bond with someone. I had a client who loved Chinese Checkers but hadn't played in years because no one knew how to play. I did a quick Internet search, printed out some instructions and learned to play. You could also introduce new board or card games if the person is able to learn. Stores are now carrying large print word finds and crossword puzzles that are great for those with sight problems.