Why Visiting Elderly During the Holidays is the Best Gift You Can Give
Human Interaction During Elderly Visits
“Doing something positive will help turn your mood around. When you smile, your body relaxes. When you experience human touch and interaction, it eases tension in your body.” – Simone Elkeles.
Many seniors oftentimes get depressed during the holiday season. They remember the good old days when many family members were alive, and they felt well.
If they are lonely, they will feel that loneliness even more during the holiday season.
The holidays can make all of us feel more nostalgia than any other time of the year.
Giving your time to an elderly person during the holidays who is in a nursing home is the greatest gift you can give them.
Walking into the Alpine Nursing Home During the Holidays is Cheerful!
Depression and Seniors
According to US News, Depression is common in older persons, with some estimates showing that 8 to 16 percent of older individuals experience clinically significant depressive symptoms.
Feeling sad, down or “low” is only one symptom of depression. A person may also lose interest in or no longer enjoy activities that they once took part in. They may have problems with sleep – either sleeping much less or much more than before.
A depressed person may complain of low energy and may experience frequent intrusive, guilty, or ruminating thoughts. Their appetite may decline, and weight may be lost.
These feelings of depression can start around the time of the holiday season.
If your loved one doesn’t live nearby, give them a call to let them know you’re thinking about them or, if possible, offer to visit.
Human interaction, in addition to formal treatment approaches, can work wonders for an older adult dealing with depression.
What Can You Bring Them?
Many seniors love having their kids help them decorate their rooms for the holidays. They love to have things from their homes to feel more at peace in their surroundings. You could bring something that you could make with them. (like a craft, etc) Others may love to play a game of cards.
If you have a pet, pets are known to cheer seniors up immensely. You can bring your pets to the Alpine Nursing Home, where we welcome pets any day of the week to visit our residents.
Just petting a dog can lower a person’s blood pressure! The power of touch has a healing power on its own. Animals can also distract seniors from their negative thoughts and sometimes even have the elderly move more than they normally would. All this leads to a feel better experience.
What Does A Visit Do for The Elderly?
Having young people visit them can give them a sense of purpose. They can find an opportunity to teach something to the younger generation and this makes them feel good!
When a child or grandchild comes to visit at the nursing home it can brighten an older person’s day. Being able to chat with them and having someone to listen to them can do an eldelry person a world of good.
So if you are contemplating visiting an elderly resident this holiday season, think no more! Come in for a visit and we know you will feel better when you leave as well as the resident that you visited 🙂
Our nursing station is all decorated for the holiday season.
