Caring for an older friend or family member is challenging, especially when you’re trying to do so from far away. Thankfully, there are many ways you can support your senior loved one and keep tabs on health and happiness. Below is some practical advice for bridging the distance between you and the person you’re helping.

Medical Coverage

Ensuring your loved one has the medical coverage necessary to be safe and healthy is a key to good quality of life. Medicare is particularly useful in meeting that need. If your senior doesn’t already have Medicare in place, be advised the Medicare Annual Election Period is from October 15 through December 7. That’s the only enrollment period available, so seniors who need to get coverage or change their existing coverage must take action during that time.

With some may board games on the market these days, it can make it hard to choose one that the whole family will enjoy. With the older generation taken into consideration we have a few ideas of games everyone can enjoy. The first one is Scrabble. Scrabble is a classic for anyone who loves to play with words, making it an ideal board game for book lovers. The younger generations might know this game known as “Words with Friends.” The next choice that comes to mind is Pictionary. Pictionary is for families who jump at the chance of expressing themselves through art. The game is played by different players trying to identify a word or phrase based on their teammates drawing. If you are wanting to play a game with toddles take into consideration that they do not have a great attention span. This is where Candyland may come in handy. Candyland is colorful, fun, and has instructions easy enough for children under the age of 6 to play. These are just some of the options of board games that can be taken into consideration to play as the holiday season get closer.

With summer coming to a close and fall beginning its time to start looking for new ways to keep seniors busy. Since staying active in mind and body is essential for everyday health and well-being. A good place to begin looking for ideas to keep the elderly busy is within the local event calendars. There are always new things going on around the local community. Festivals, theater shows, performances, and so on.

All it takes is a little planning to give a loved one something to look forward to. However, you don’t have to wait for an event. There should be organizations for seniors as well as a variety of clubs and senior-specific activities. People enjoy feeling like they can contribute to their community.

Cooler weather can make it harder to stay physically active but rain or shine, remaining active is important throughout your entire life. Finding senior friendly exercises isn’t challenging. Even seniors with mobility issues can find less strenuous armchair exercises. When it comes to staying mentally active, which is equally important, it can be as simple as doing a puzzle, playing a board game, or even a card game. These are just some of the ideas that you can use to keep your elderly busy during the cold months.