Christmas is a festive season that allows friends and family to come together in the spirit of fun and celebration. It can be a difficult time for older adults residing in 55 community in Chipley, TX as the period stirs nostalgic memories of the good times they shared with their friends and family back at home.
Even so, older adults can still have a blast during the festivities despite living in retirement communities. With the help of their respective caregivers, the elderly can still make the most of the Christmas duration to celebrate and make merry. Here is a detailed breakdown of several activities that can help older adults and their loved ones to enjoy the holidays.
Engaging in Christmas Movie Marathons
Watching movies is a huge component of Christmas traditions. It is a fun activity that older adults can embrace to celebrate the holidays while in retirement communities. Fortunately, there is a wide range of new and classic Christmas movies to watch during this time.
Some prominent examples of classics include White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, and It’s a Wonderful Life as well as modern hits like Scrooged, Elf, or The Santa Clause. They can also have some healthy snacks and refreshments for a life-changing film-viewing encounter.
Creating Christmas Crafts
Art and craft are recommended for older adults particularly those with memory loss and neurodegenerative conditions. Apart from that, creating art engages the brain diverting it from negative thoughts. In essence, art is crucial in reducing stress. There is no better time for older adults to engage their creative bones and put their art skills to the test than during the festivities.
Christmas decorations form a huge part of Christmas traditions across the world. Rather than sitting around and fixating their minds on past events, the elderly can participate in gingerbread house-making, gift-wrapping, or wreath-making. Making crafts will not only help elder to sharpen their creative skills but also provide a sense of accomplishment and pride which is perfect for their mental well-being.
Sending Invitations to Friends and Family Members
Rather than celebrating the festive season on their own, it would be prudent if the elderly invited some friends and family members to have fun with them in the retirement community. Their loved ones can help with the food preparation as well as Christmas decorations. The decorations could be done within their rooms as well as in common spaces. This will help to create new memories that will treasure for a long time to come.
Listening to Christmas Classics
If there is anything that never loses relevance then it has to be Christmas music. There are countless classic holiday tunes that older adults can enjoy, sing along and dance to during the festive season as they cherish the memories that they bring. Listening to these tunes as a group in the retirement community helps to promote a sense of community among the prevailing residents.
Make Your Christmas Fun and Interesting
Christmas does not have to be dull just because older adults are away from their family members. There are many activities that elders can embrace to inject fun into 55 communities as we have highlighted above.
