How To Make A Senior Smile

How To Make A Senior Smile:
It really comes down to simply being there.

Tickles. Yes, that’s one way to make your senior loved one smile. Both of you get immediate enjoyment and interaction, but truly it’s the interaction that makes the moment really special.

Gifts? Yes, that might also make a senior loved one smile, but as we all know when we get gifts, it’s a short lived enjoyment. So, how do we really touch deep and make a senior smile? The following are our suggestions (and get the hint, they’re all about communication and letting your senior loved one know they’re not alone.):

5 Ways to Make a Senior Loved One Smile

1. Call or Contact.
   Whether your senior loved one is your mom, dad, or a neighbor, make sure to keep in touch and call them when you’re too busy to visit in person. We all live busy lives, but, as we know, today we have cell phones, Facebook, and other ways to contact people. Don’t forget the seniors in your life. Seniors need interaction like anyone, maybe more so. Just give them a shout.
2. Visit. Stop By.
   Say hello. If even for a few minutes. All people like to know they’re thought of; especially seniors who might not get out that often anymore. Just a simple knock at the door to say hello and talk on the porch before you have to run off to your busy day can help put a smile on a senior’s face who was once in your busy-day shoes.
3. Visit for a While.
   We all like to have company over from time to time. Many seniors thrive on it. Stop by for an hour visit. Watch their favorite TV show with them. Bring them some food. Play trivia games. Whatever it might be. Just spend time. That’s all it takes sometimes to make a senior smile.
4. Ask About Their Past.
   When you’re visiting a senior, ask them about their past, their lifetime. Most seniors love to open up and chat your ear off about what they’ve accomplished, or what they’ve been through. Simply ask, then sit back and be a great listener. Listening is a skill. Learn to do it. Listening makes all people smile.
5. Read Them a Story.
   Read a book to a senior, or set them up with audio tapes of a book. We all love to be entertained, but TV gets tiring after a while. If they’re a religious person, read the Bible to them and discuss the passages. Again, it doesn’t matter much what you talk about, it’s your presence that will make a senior smile.

These are merely 5 simple ways to help a senior smile.
If you have other ideas, please feel free to answer our blog post in the comments section.

 

BLOG Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Writer: Ryan Allen