How To Improve Your Relationship With A Senior Loved One

As your senior loved one advances in age and issues such as dementia worsening, you may find that maintaining your strong relationship is more difficult. Aging affects the senses that are related to communication, including speech, hearing and vision. These five actions can help you to improve your relationship and make the best of each moment that you have together.

 

1. Ask for Expertise
If you always admired your loved one's skills at quilting or baking apple strudel, ask for tips. Your loved one may even have the muscle memory to show you how to do a specific task. By sharing this skill, your loved one will feel valued and appreciated. You may be able to carry on an important and beloved family tradition.

2. Do a Project Together
Try changing things up a bit and do a project together. Even a simple project such as a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle or labeling family photographs is a great way to enjoy some quality time. These activities exercise your senior loved one's brain and can provide a boost of self-confidence. Choose activities that match your loved one's endurance and level of focus.

3. Talk About Happy Shared Experiences
Sit close to each other and talk about a happy experience that the two of you shared, like when you were five years old and you stood and watched the Independence Day parade marching down Main Street. These happy shared experiences are what forms the bond between you and your aging loved one. You can tie those experiences into things that are going on today, such as your continued appreciation of parades and marching bands.

4. Get Outside Together
When the weather is mild, spend some time outdoors together. Even sitting on the front porch or back patio on a swing or lawn chair and watching the butterflies, birds and bees doing their thing can be a relaxing experience. Communing with nature is good for the spirit and may help your loved one to relax. The fresh air and sunshine can also boost the mood of your senior loved one.

5. Hold Hands
If your senior loved one is a widow or widower and family members infrequently visit, he or she may be lacking in physical touch. Holding your loved one's hand is a gentle way of showing love. If this is uncomfortable for your loved one, consider placing your hand on top of theirs.

Source: Home Care Assistance Bridgewater