Spring is an excellent time to get seniors up and about. The days are not only longer, but warmer. Everyone has been cooped up indoors and needs fresh air. Springtime senior care activities gets everyone moving for a much-needed boost of vitamin D.
Senior Care Inside & Out
There are many benefits to getting outdoors for some physical activity after the long, winter months. This applies to everyone, not just seniors. A simple change of environment is often enough to get the blood flowing. Taking part in physical activities such as lawn games or nature walks replenishes oxygen throughout the body.
Games, gardening, exercise, and outdoor meditation all promote a positive cycle of well-being. The sunshine kicks the body’s vitamin D production into gear, boosting the immune system. Gardening, crafts, and outdoor strategy games promote cognitive function, sharpen focus, and improve mood.
Front-Stoop Bird Watching
Bird watching is an excellent pastime. It offers a lengthy list of benefits and the cost ranges from expensive to close to, if not free. Use a search engine to find free bird watching resources online. We have listed a few links below to get you started.
The Bird Watcher’s Digest website provides many resources absolutely free, including an email newsletter. Visit the Bird I.D. page for a lengthy list of species identification links. There are also several free, but useful bird watching apps for tech savvy seniors. App stores offers them for both Android and iPhone.
- Visit the Audubon Society to learn more about and download its Bird Watching Guide.
- Song Sleuth is an app which helps identify feathery finds by song.
- The Bird Journal is a digital field guide and allows users to make notes.
All three of these companies offer both free and paid versions of their apps for springtime senior care. Budget is always important, but the paid versions provide additional features to explore.
Check out local community centers and libraries for information about free instruction materials. These types of organizations often offer instruction or access to resources to teach elders outdoor meditation, Yoga, and/or Tai Chi.
Outdoor Mindfulness for Seniors
Individuals who routinely take part in mindfulness, deep breathing, and meditation reap wonderful benefits for body, mind, and soul. These types of practices stretch the body; declutter the mind; and boost mood. Yoga offers programs of varying degrees for all levels of fitness. Tai Chi is a slow and gentle, but calming technique. Take it outside and the benefits multiply.
Springtime Senior Care Ideas
- Gardening provides accomplishment, a sense of well-being, and physical exercise. It does not have to be an enormous garden. A small patch or even a container garden will do.
- A simple walk around the property provides a change of scenery, sunshine, and mental stimulation.
- Seniors who enjoy a more hands on approach might enjoy building a birdhouse, hummingbird feeder, or compost bin for the gardeners.
The most important detail is sunshine. Celebrate the newest furry, feathery, and flowery members of planet earth. Dig down into the earth and plant some smiles.
Cited Sources:
1: https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn.php
2: https://www.audubon.org/app
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