As we age, it’s common to experience feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression.

This is where therapy dogs come in as a valuable resource for seniors, and we wanted to share a little about how our program here at Benton House brings both emotional and physical benefits to the members of our communities.

We’ll share how therapy dogs can help seniors, and then introduce you to two of our all-star Benton House canines.

How Can Therapy Dogs Help Seniors?

Therapy dogs are trained specifically to provide comfort, companionship, and emotional support to individuals in need. When seniors interact with therapy dogs, it has been shown to reduce stress levels and anxiety while also increasing feelings of happiness and well-being.

Studies have shown that regular visits from therapy dogs can help seniors feel more connected to the world around them, leading to a boost in mood and an increased sense of purpose.

In addition to emotional benefits, therapy dogs also have physical benefits for seniors. For example, seniors may feel more inspired to take walks or engage in other physical activities when accompanied by a furry companion. This can help improve cardiovascular health and overall physical fitness.

Therapy Dogs at Benton House

As you can see, therapy dogs provide numerous benefits for seniors, including emotional support, increased physical activity, and a sense of security.

We launched our therapy dog program a few years ago, and the boost of love each one of our sweet pups has made in our communities has been so profound we’ve never looked back.

Today we want to introduce you to Bubbles and Ivory, two of our ten beloved canines that take turns spreading love at each of our communities they visit.

Meet Bubbles the Therapy Dog

Bubbles the therapy dog

Our beloved Australian Labradoodle therapy dog, Bubbles, has been a member of the Benton House family for over a year now. Bubbles lives and travels with our Regional Director of Georgia, Ginger Couch.

Bubbles is beloved for her calm, friendly demeanor and her ability to connect with everyone she meets, from our staff to visiting family members to community members. Each week she visits a different community, boosting spirits and spreading puppy love in a wide variety of scenarios. 

Take this sweet example from a long-time resident. A gentleman at one of our communities had experienced a rapid physical decline from early-onset Parkinson’s disease. This had contributed to his feelings of frustration with the world, in particular related to being forced to give up his teaching career and independence.

Placing Bubbles in his lap on an especially difficult day for him helped open up a conversation that led him to move into a more positive mental state, in part because it helped him process missing his own dog. Every time Ginger brought Bubbles to this community, they made sure to pay a special visit to this therapy dog’s friend.

Meet Ivory the Therapy Dog

Ivory the therapy dog giving some love

We’re lucky enough to also have Ivory, a three-and-a-half-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever, as a therapy dog at Benton House.

When she was a puppy, Ivory was trained to sniff out Covid-19 with near 100% accuracy, and we brought her in as an additional measure on top of our testing protocols at our communities. Today, Ivory lives with Bonnie Smith, our Community Relations Director, who travels around with her to our Benton House communities.

Bonnie finds that even our quietest residents become more animated when Ivory visits. This sweet therapy dog loves to play games that make community members smile, like showing off her uncanny ability to sniff out treats that we’ve hidden for her while she’s blindfolded. Ivory has a special ability to meet people where they are, whether she’s napping with a war veteran or eagerly playing fetch in the courtyard with a retired pro tennis player.

Ivory may be most popular, however, for her silky soft fur: Just a few moments of petting her never fails to bring joy.

Our Benton House Therapy Dogs

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Bubbles and Ivory as much as our community members do. Our therapy dogs here at Benton House bring joy to everyone they meet, and we’re so fortunate to have them on staff!

To wrap this up, we also want to share that with as much energy and intention as Bubbles, Ivory, and the rest of their pack give to support our communities here at Benton House, being on the clock can be draining for them, just like for any of us. So we make sure to schedule in down-time for them to snooze on their dog beds or play fetch on their own turf—whatever their puppy hearts desire to refill their cups.

The post Therapy Dogs at Benton House appeared first on Benton House.

In this article we’ll explore why physical fitness matters in particular for older adults. Then, we’ll share three specific types of exercise for seniors over 75 that support the CDC recommendations. Let’s dive in.

Exercise Helps Seniors Maintain Overall Health

First and foremost, exercise is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. Regular physical activity can help seniors reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Additionally, exercise can improve mental health by reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.

Exercise Supports Mobility and Balance for Seniors

Secondly, exercise is essential for maintaining and improving mobility and balance. Aging can lead to a decline in muscle strength and flexibility, making it harder for seniors to perform everyday tasks. Engaging in regular physical activity can help seniors maintain their independence and prevent falls, which are a leading cause of injury among older adults.

3 Excellent Methods of Exercise for Seniors over 75

Walking

This simple, low-impact exercise is perfect for seniors. It can be easily adapted to any fitness level and can be done anywhere, anytime. Walking helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and improve balance.

As a bonus, walking with friends is a wonderful social activity that can build connections with family or peers and reduce feelings of social isolation.

Chair exercises

For those with limited mobility or balance issues, chair exercises can be an excellent option. Common examples include seated marches, seated leg lifts, and seated arm curls.

Studies show chair-based exercises are simple yet effective in maintaining and improving muscle strength in older adults.

Swimming

This low-impact exercise is gentle on the joints and can be an excellent option for seniors with arthritis or other joint issues. Swimming can help improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and flexibility.

Besides the physical benefits, one study even suggests that swimming may improve mental speed and acuity in older adults.

Get Your Free 1:1 Caregiving Support

The importance of exercise for seniors over 75 is clear, but sometimes it’s not straightforward to help them create a fitness program that matches both their curent physical and mental abilities. Would you like personal, customized help assessing the physical fitness needs of your senior loved one—completely free of charge?

Get compassionate caregiving support in one of these three easy ways.

Visit our support page and request your complimentary Caregiver Workbook.

Call our Caregiver Hotline for free custom support at 855-461-2552. We’re here to help.

Send us a message describing how we can support you. Choose whether you’d like us to reach out: text, email, or snail mail.

Again, there is no charge for these services. They’re simply an extension of our mission to help every family who calls.

The post 3 Excellent Exercises for Seniors Over 75 appeared first on Benton House.

It can be hard to find just-the-right present, one that makes them feel seen and appreciated—and that they’ll actually use. Whether you’re shopping for their birthday or a larger holiday, we’ve got just the gift guide for you.

We’ve grouped these ideas into meaningful categories of gift ideas for your senior loved ones to help you find that perfect present. Let’s jump in. 

Support their brain with a game

What about a gift that’s both fun and supportive of their cognitive health? A great gift idea for older parents is a game to help them stay mentally active and enjoy themselves at the same time.

• To inspire socializing as well, consider giving them a board game that requires more than one player, like Scrabble or checkers.
• For an activity to help fill downtime spent alone, more solo-style activities like a jigsaw puzzle or book of crosswords make great gifts, too.

Make memories last longer

Holidays are full of nostalgia to begin with: why not draw out that magical feeling with a gift to make memories last even longer?

• A traditional scrapbook always always brings smiles, and can be a fun gift to get the kids involved with, too.
• There are also plenty of simple ways to transform family photos into gifts—like a digital picture frame or  these custom photo coasters.

Bring nature to them

There’s no doubt about it: time in the natural world enriches our lives. But of course, as we age it tends to become more challenging to engage as actively in outdoors activities. Bring a little of the outside world to your loved one this holiday with a nature-inspired gift.

• Consider hanging a bird feeder outside a window so they can enjoy the flurry of activity.
• If they like to cook, an indoor herb planter makes a beautiful and functional gift.
• Perhaps the simplest idea on our list, low-maintenance houseplants are lovely ways to breathe a little extra vibrancy into your loved one’s home.

Make their lives better with technology

Depending on your loved one’s lifestyle, there may be just the perfect gadget to make their life a little easier or more fun.

• For example, a tablet with integrated accessibility might make browsing the web more enjoyable.
• If they like to get out and about, a fitness tracking watch could inspire them to track their steps and challenge themselves to keep moving.
• And if your loved one leans more low tech, perhaps something more traditional like a new reading light to support their reading habit makes the most sense.

Subscribe them to something special

What about a gift that keeps on giving? No matter what your older parents enjoys, you can find a subscription they’ll look forward to getting every month, guaranteed.

• Try a niche subscription. From flowers to books to wine to ice cream, you can have just about anything shipped to their doorstep each month.
• Don’t forget about more traditional subscriptions, like that magazine you always see them flipping through at the grocery checkout.

Gift them warmth and comfort 

Don’t sleep on everyone’s favorite gifting category: all things cozy.

• Consider something soft and wearable, like a fleece robe, a pair of plush slippers, or a comfy blanket to wrap up in while they relax on the couch.
• If they have plenty of soft wintry clothes and throws, they’ll be sure to appreciate a more interactive gift, like one of these back massagers or an aromatherapy pad they can warm up in the microwave.

Spend time together

Let’s wrap up with the our favorite gift idea for your older parent: time spent together. And by that we mean time together focused on fun, not caregiving.

Since Isolation and feelings of disconnection pose a serious health risk for older adults, gifts that encourage time together can go a long way in supporting the health of your loved one during the holidays and beyond.

Bonus: Making a meaningful gift of time time together can also be absolutely free.

• Consider something simple and casual, like bringing over a box of pre-made holiday decorations (or DIY seasonal decor supplies) and spending the day together making their home more festive.
• Turn time together into a more formal gift, like a one-time cooking class you can both attend or a series of once-a-week art classes you’d both enjoy.

Next Steps

We hope this list of holiday gift ideas for older parents helps you find just the right present for your senior loved one.

If you could use support in another way with your senior loved one this holiday season, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 16 Delightful Gift Ideas for Older Parents (That Support Their Health and Well-Being) appeared first on Benton House.

Has your senior loved one suffered a head injury?

You’re understandably concerned, and you want to know which symptoms to watch for and when to seek help. Here are some tips to help you navigate this situation to ensure their safety and well-being.

Assess the Situation

Does your senior loved one have a minor bump or bruise from a fall? If it’s not a head injury, you may be able to treat this at home with first aid, like RICE or compression.

However, if they have experienced even a mild head injury, or if you suspect they have, call their doctor or medical professional for guidance on a course of action.

If the head injury is severe, call 911. The severity of head injuries is difficult to assess unless you’re a medical professional yourself, so err on the side of caution. Even mild traumatic brain injuries can have serious long-term consequences.

Watch for These Head Injury Symptoms

If you receive guidance from their doctor that you do not need to bring your senior loved one in immediately, the medical professional will likely advise you to keep an eye on them for 24-48 hours after a head injury.

Watch for signs of a concussion, including the concerning symptoms listed below. Jot down any to communicate with their doctor.

• Loss of consciousness
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Blurred vision
• Confusion
• Memory problems
• Difficulty with balance
• Seizures
• Weakness or numbness in the extremities
• Unusual behavior
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability

Next Steps

If your senior loved one has experienced a head injury, or you notice any of the above symptoms and you suspect they have experienced one, err on the side of caution and seek medical attention, even if the injury seems minor.

Prompt medical attention can help prevent complications and ensure your senior loved one makes a full recovery.

The post What to Do If Your Senior Loved One Falls and Hits Their Head appeared first on Benton House.

You probably want to know how long their recovery might take, what you can do for them if they’re healing at home, and when to bring in extra help.

Let’s dive in.

How long does it take the elderly to recover after a hospital stay?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how long your senior loved one’s recovery will take. Healing depends on what they were hospitalized for, and the unfortunate reality is the hospital visit alone can have lasting consequences.

The truth is, it’s unrealistic to expect your senior loved one to return home from their hospital stay and bounce quickly back to their pre-visit health. It’s not uncommon for seniors discharged from the hospital to experience physical and mental fatigue for several weeks. But while ample recovery time should be expected, there are ways to both ease and speed up the process.

Plan how you will take care of yourself as well

Our first tip might surprise you, but hear us out.

Yes, this is like putting on your own oxygen mask first. Chronic caregiver burnout related to supporting your senior loved ones is high to begin with. When a hospital stay is involved, your risk of burnout is even higher. For everyone’s sake, before you begin planning how you’ll take care of your loved one, take stock of your own boundaries and capacities first.

Get clear on your senior loved one’s specific recovery needs

Post-hospital support needs can run from minor to major support.

Talk to your senior loved one’s team of doctors to understand what recovery might look like. Sometimes this can be simple as adjusting their home to accommodate their healing time, coordinating medication, and scheduling follow up doctor visits.

Rehab for your elderly after hospital stay: inpatient vs outpatient

More often than not, though, your senior loved one may require some level of rehab when they return from a hospital stay.

Outpatient rehabilitation can be a great choice for those who need support but also want to return home. In this case, you’ll want to organize transportation to and from their rehab facility as well as create a plan to help them reach therapy goals by practicing at home. If your senior loved one can’t be home alone yet, or outpatient therapy ends up feeling too difficult to maintain, it may be right to consider inpatient rehab.

Inpatient rehabilitation usually involves staying in a senior living community for short-term or long-term support. This is typically better suited for your senior loved ones who need intensive care after a hospital stay. Inpatient rehab also has the benefit of freeing family caregivers from the burden of transportation and coordination, so you have more space and energy to be there for your loved one, while trusting they are in good hands.

Get Your Free 1:1 Caregiving Support

We hope this article helps reduce any overwhelm about how to help your senior loved one heal after a hospital stay.

Would you like personal, customized help deciding how to take care of your senior loved after a hospital stay—completely free of charge?

Get compassionate and tailored caregiving support in one of these three easy ways.

Visit our support page and request your complimentary Caregiver Workbook.

Call our Caregiver Hotline for free custom support at 855-461-2552. We’re here to help.

Send us a message describing how we can support you. Choose whether you’d like us to reach out: text, email, or snail mail.

Again, there is no charge for these services. They’re simply an extension of our mission to help every family who calls.

The post Home After Hospitalization: How to Help Your Senior Loved One Heal appeared first on Benton House.

Of course, chocolate and flowers will never go out of style. But a study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships shows that most of us agree: Positive behavioral actions (what we do) are what make us feel most loved.

It turns out these don’t have to be grandiose gifts or actions, either. In fact, small gestures top the list.

Here are four categories of ways to make your senior loved one feel adored on Valentine’s Day or any time of year.

Spend Time with Your Parents

Our top Valentine’s Day gift idea for making your elderly parents feel loved: Spend time together. Quality time ranked high in this study for what makes any of us feel loved—and the results show that time with our children in particular ranks even higher. Not to mention, the importance of connecting with your parents increases with age: social isolation and loneliness carry serious consequences.

Make them feel cherished by initiating some one on one time together that’s focused on connection rather than caregiving. Some ideas include treating them to brunch, scheduling a community art class to take together, joining them to complete a jigsaw puzzle, or simply sitting with them doing whatever they’re feeling up for that day.

Show Them You Accept Them

It’s no surprise, but this study showed that feeling genuinely accepted goes a long way in making all of us feel loved. Your senior loved one will appreciate any way you can meet them where they are and adapt to the changes and challenges that invariably come with aging.

Perhaps they’re experiencing more social anxiety around larger gatherings, but you know it means a lot to them to see their grandchildren. What if you spread out a few 1:1 dates with each grandkid? This might reduce overwhelm, while still giving them the Valentine’s Day gift of togetherness.

Cheer Them on to Reach a Goal

This study showed that feeling supported to reach our life goals makes us feel loved. Find out what your senior loved one wants to accomplish. How can you show your support?

Did you hear dad say he wants to finally learn to paint? Show you believe in him with a fresh set of brushes. Know mom wants to finish that book she started writing years ago? Give her your vote of confidence with a blank journal or an upgraded computer setup.

Treat Them to Physical Affection

As signals of love go, this study suggests that physical affection ranks high for most of us. In fact, another study published by the Oxford University Press links physical touch not only to lower blood pressure and higher oxytocin levels but even a lower likelihood of inflammation.

Give your elderly parents the gift of physical affection for Valentine’s Day. This can be as simple as making sure time spent together includes touch, like a hug from you or snuggles from the grandchildren. You might also consider treating them to a professional self-care service, like a therapeutic massage or an appointment at a nice hair salon (the kind that includes a delicious scalp massage).

Next Steps

It turns out that positive behavioral actions (what we do) are what make any of us feel most loved.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your senior loved ones, the most meaningful gifts are the small gestures: time spent together, unconditional acceptance, supporting their goals, and physical affection.

If you could use support with your senior loved one, we’re always available to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 4 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas to Make Your Senior Loved Ones Feel Cherished appeared first on Benton House.

But did you know that falls are actually the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for those 65 and older?

According to the CDC, 1 out of 4 older adults will fall each year in the U.S., making falls a public health concern. There are many risk factors, including increased inactivity, changes in gait and balance, and prescription medication use.

Falls increase the chances of being hospitalized, setting up further potential health risks in pneumonia and adverse medical reactions.

But there is a lot you can do to reduce the fall risk for your senior loved one.

Let’s look more closely at some reasons older adults are more susceptible to falls, and how to help keep them safe.

The 3 Top Ways to Prevent Falls in Older Adults

As you can see, there are many contributing factors to why your senior loved ones become more susceptible to falls as they age.

The good news: there are simple solutions that can reduce their risk. Here are our top three recommendations—the primary methods we use at Benton House that we know from experience make the biggest difference for our loved ones.

Help your senior loved one fall-proof their home:

Chances are, your senior loved one spends the majority of their time at home. A regular assessment of the living environment may be the single biggest step you can take to reduce risk and notice changes. Invest time to assess each living area, room by room, and take action to minimize fall risks. Focus on three key areas: lighting, walkways, and bathrooms. 

Lighting: switch to automatic lights where possible and install night lights throughout the home to illuminate main walkways indoors and out.

Walkways and Paths: remove throw rugs, clear clutter, and provide reminders like brightly colored tape on stairs and transitions.

Bathrooms: install grab bars, handrails, bath benches, and other safety and support items.

Encourage your senior loved ones to exercise, with a focus on balance activities:

Older adults need three types of exercise regularly: aerobic activities, muscle strengthening, and balance activities. They’re all important, but a CDC study suggests that an exercise program that includes both balance activities and functional exercise (a type of muscle strengthening) reduces the risk of falls in older adults by 24%.

Read our tips here to help your senior loved one create an exercise program for both physical fitness and fun.

Prioritize the overall health of your senior loved ones:

Our most important tip? Make sure you or someone you trust stays on top of the physical and mental health of your senior loved one. The two most important health areas of focus to reduce the risk of falls for older adults include assessing chronic conditions and managing related medications.

Take advantage of routine doctor checkups

Make sure you or their appointed caregiver attends appointments with your loved one. Many conditions (like thyroid imbalances or dementia) contribute to the risk of falling for older adults, so take full advantage of having an expert in the room to ask the doctor questions or raise concerns. 

Develop a simple system to manage medications

The unfortunate truth: Medication prescribed to treat conditions common in older adults can also raise fall risk when taken incorrectly. Work together with your senior loved one and caregivers to create a medication management plan everyone involved with their health can easily follow. Whatever other methods you use, keep visual reminders like this free medication chart template on their fridge, so everyone on their healthcare team can easily stay on the same page.

Next Steps

Is there one magic pill that can keep your senior loved ones safe from ever falling?

Unfortunately, no.

But fall-proofing their home, encouraging exercise, and managing their overall health go a long way in reducing their risk, so they stay as healthy (and balanced) as possible.

Get Your Free 1:1 Caregiving Support

Would you like personal, customized help reducing the fall risk of your senior loved one—completely free of charge?

Get compassionate caregiving support, including a non-clinical home safety review, in one of these three easy ways.

• Visit our support page and request your complimentary Caregiver Workbook.
• Call our Caregiver Hotline for free custom support at 855-461-2552. We’re here to help.
• Send us a message describing how we can support you. Choose whether you’d like us to reach out: text, email, or snail mail.

Again, there is no charge for these services. They’re simply an extension of our mission to help every family who calls.

The post Reducing Fall Risk: How to Keep Your Senior Loved Ones Safe appeared first on Benton House.

If you’re fortunate, like we are, to spend time with senior loved ones, you know what a treasure their hard-won wisdom is to receive.

We feel selfish keeping it all to ourselves, so this year we asked a handful of our community residents if we could share their answer to this question: “What are your words of wisdom going into 2023”?

Some you’ll want to tuck away to remember, some will make you laugh out loud, and they’ll all remind you of the preciousness of life as you step into this new year. We hope you love these pearls of wisdom as much as we do.

Let’s dive in.

“It’s never too late to start something over.”

—Donna Darby, Benton House of Oakleaf: Jacksonville, FL

 “Be grateful to see a new day and love your family. Just be happy, life is too short.”

—Margaret Brown, Benton House of Staley Hills: Kansas City, MO

“Be mindful of what you say! Words can be hurtful if you are not careful how you use them.”

—Nick Calve, Benton House of Aiken, Aiken, SC 

“Let it all hang out!”

– Emery “Hink” Hinkhouse (age 105), Benton House of Olathe, KS 

“Take it easy a bit, and don’t let the little things become big things. Be more flexible.”

– Sharon Martin, Benton House of Olathe, KS

“To love everyone and to be happy and thankful for the blessing of life.” 

—Shirley Dysert, Benton House of Lenexa, KS 

“Stay busy and friendly, it helps with loneliness.”

—Peggy Perdue, Benton House of Grayson, Grayson, GA

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

—Jimmie Mae Sosebee

“Get close to the Creator in this coming year. Emulate love to everyone. If you do this, you will have a successful 2023.”

—Anonymous, Benton House of Florence, Florence, SC

“Treat everyone with kindness and respect others.”

—Margaret Weigler, Benton House of Bluffton, Bluffton, SC

“Prayers for a happy and peaceful world as we enter into the new year.”

—Ms. Margaret Lumpkin, Benton House of Woodstock, Woodstock, GA

“May all the tears of 2022 water the seeds you are planting in 2023.”

—Clarice Dunlop, Benton House of Decatur, Decatur, GA, who follows this with her favorite quote:

“We are all faced with a service of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

—-Chuck Swindoll

 “Pray our country will change and be less selfish.”

—-Joe Dowling (91), Benton House of Augusta, Augusta, GA

 “Be resilient, and don’t get upset with the things you can’t control. Stay close to your loved ones!” 

—-Del Black, Benton House Tiffany Springs, Kansas City, MO

“Behave yourself and take care. Mind all your P’s and Q’s.”

—Carol French-Ward, Benton House of Blue Springs, Blue Springs, MO

“Have a ball.”

—A special message from Buddy (Carol French-Ward’s dog) 

 “Life is about adjustments. You either learn to adjust or you lament.”

—Andy Abate, Benton House of St. Johns, St. Augustine, FL

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5&6.”

—Marilynn Moores, Benton House of St. Johns, St. Augustine, FL

“When you have God in your heart, tell people about it. So, wherever you go, sprinkle love and goodness everywhere.”

—-Helen Howington, Benton House of Port Orange, Port Orange, FL

“Be grateful and thankful for everything we have. Also, be kind and nice to everyone around us.”

—-Barbara Lekorenon, The Garden House, Anderson, SC

“I hope that everyone can become closer to Christ.”

—Mary Jo Slice

“Bloom where you are planted.”

—Mary Taylor, Benton House of Raymore, MO 

“Keep a smile on your face always and the world will smile with you.”

—Joan Laurenzo, Benton House of Oviedo, Oviedo, FL

“Be sure and talk to Jesus every day and listen to what he tells you back.”

—Bettye Cochran, Benton Village of Stockbridge, Stockbridge, GA

“Be good to each other. Everyone should try to get along and have peace in the world.”

 —Marjorie Gilmer, Benton House of Douglasville, Douglasville, GA 

Words of Wisdom from Our Senior Living Residents

We hope you enjoyed these pocket-sized pearls of wisdom from our Benton House community. 

Wishing you and yours a beautiful new year.

If you could use support in another way with your senior loved one this holiday season, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post Welcome the New Year With These Words of Wisdom From Our Senior Living Residents appeared first on Benton House.

As our senior loved ones age, we all know family holiday celebrations should adapt to make sure our loved ones still feel cared for and included. But how? Every year can bring fresh challenges, as cognitive and physical abilities change.

Let’s take a look at four simple ways to consider adjusting your holiday celebrations as your loved ones continue to age.

Plan Ahead for the Holiday

If you’re spending the holiday together with your senior loved ones, make a solid plan and do your best to follow through, making sure to adjust as needed for any medical or physical needs they might have. Structure can help reduce any anxiety they may feel about how the various seasonal celebrations will unfold.

If you’re not planning to spend the holidays together, make sure they won’t spend it alone. If they live in a care community, learn what holiday celebrations are happening that they can take part in—and encourage them to participate. If they live at home, perhaps consider seeing if neighbors and friends might be around and open to visiting.

However you plan it, focus on ensuring your loved one feels cared for.

Develop New Traditions Together

Family traditions are one of the most special parts of holiday celebrations. But some traditions become more difficult to participate in as we age. There’s no reason traditions shouldn’t evolve along with us, though.

So as you make holiday plans, perhaps consider integrating new or adapted traditions that are more suited to your senior loved ones’ current cognitive and physical abilities. For example, if they used to host and cook most of the food, maybe offer support so they can still host, but switch to a potluck-style dinner. 

Repeat Feel-Good Memories

While creating new traditions is beautiful (and sometimes necessary), is there anything that feels more warm and fuzzy than remembering past happy times with loved ones? Like spending time together watching the same holiday movies that you’ve always watched, baking the beloved family cookie recipe, or driving around that one neighborhood where all the houses are beautifully decorated with lights.

Looking through old photo albums is another way to more directly walk down memory lane together. (A digital picture frame so they can witness those memories regularly makes a wonderful gift as well.)

Help with Gift-Buying and Wrapping

Perhaps your senior loved ones don’t drive anymore, or simply feel overwhelmed at the prospect of shopping alone. But that doesn’t mean they don’t still want to experience the joy that comes from gift-giving. You can help them find gifts for family and friends in many ways, from helping them shop from catalogs or online, or taking them to the mall.

Gift-wrapping can also become more of a chore as we age and lose dexterity. Why not make a day of it as well by bringing over some wrapping paper, firing up a holiday movie, and making hot chocolate?

Next Steps 

It can be a challenge to plan holiday celebrations that not only include your senior loved ones, but also make them feel loved and cared for. The good news is that with a little creativity, you can adjust traditions to meet your loved ones exactly where they are.

Hopefully these few tips gave you some ideas to try out this year.

Have questions? We’re always here to talk through how we can best support you and your family.

If you could use any more specific guidance on planning for the future, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 4 Ways to Keep Holiday Celebrations Fun With Senior Loved Ones appeared first on Benton House.

Fall seems to always fly by faster than any of us are prepared for. Before we know it, winter arrives. And with it, the potential for winter storms.

If you help take care of your aging parents, fall is a good time of year to help prep their home for storms or extra chilly weather that may sweep in with winter. Here are five simple ways to help make sure mom and dad are ready for the season.

Get Ahead of Medication Management

Ensure your parents have an organized system for medication management—like a simple medication chart that reminds them what to take, and when. If it looks like a storm is on the horizon, it’s a good idea to remind them to make sure they have ample stock of prescription refills as well as their favored over-the-counter medications.

Stock up on Pantry Essentials

Help mom or dad stock up on the most important things to have on hand in case a winter storm knocks the power out: nonperishable food and a few gallons of drinking water. Essentials like canned soups and dried rice and beans are smart, but make sure you also include food that doesn’t rely on refrigeration or cooking to make a meal (like nut butters, jelly, tinned fish, and crackers). Don’t forget a manual can opener.

Gather an Emergency Kit

Besides food and water, help them create a go-to power outage kit that includes first aid supplies, candles, matches, flashlights, a battery-operated phone charger and radio, extra batteries, and a stash of extra blankets.

Install Storm Windows

Storm windows can be installed either inside or outside existing windows. They’re an energy efficient and cost effective way to improve insulation, and therefore keep mom or dad’s house warmer during winter.

Clean the Gutters

It may not be anyone’s favorite chore, but making sure gutters are clean and free of leaves or other debris that could create clogs should be a top priority as you help your aging parents prep for winter. Whether you hop up on the roof yourself or hire someone to clean them, cleaning out the gutters is wise to do before winter arrives, especially in colder climates where snow and ice can make clogs even more dangerous.

Next Steps 

Helping your aging parents prep their home for winter may seem daunting. but hopefully this short list of simple ways to support them gave you a few ideas to get started.

Have questions? We’re always here to talk through how we can best support you and your family.

If you could use any more specific guidance on helping them plan for winter, we’d love to help. Feel free to call us at 855-461-2552, or send us a message, anytime.

The post 5 Ways to Help Your Aging Parent Prepare Their Home for Winter appeared first on Benton House.