Keeping healthy, busy and active in old age can become a challenge for many. Mobility or health issues, the death of a partner, the death of those around them, even the weather, can all contribute.
Keeping the brain active, and being physically as active as possible, as well as retaining social connections are all so important for the overall well-being, whatever your age.
In this guide we suggest 8 ways to help keep elderly parents and relatives busy, active and well, whatever their situation.
1. Help continuing to do the things they love
Hopefully elderly parents and relatives are able to continue to enjoy good company with neighbours, family and friends, as well as activities to stay sociable and well. For some however this may not be the case. Fortunately, there is a wide range of organisations and services to help.
2. Keep it local
You can find all manner of local activities searching a great resource from Age UK. By postcode you can find lunch clubs, befriending services, and a whole range of other activities to suit all tastes.
For a Sunday afternoon tea party, with driving service to and from, charity Re-Engage might be the answer. Operating across the UK, this award-winning charity provides companionship – and cake – every week.
Re-Engage also provides a telephone befriending service, similar to that provided by Silver Line, started by the amazing Esther Rantzen to tackle loneliness among older people.
Men in Sheds is another wonderful organisation providing weekly activities and support services – curiously enough – for men. In a similar vein, Probus clubs are also worth contacting. And for balance – the Women’s Institute – for so much more than jam and Jerusalem.
There will be plenty of other local groups and services to consider: those provided by the local church, community centre etc. Joining a local facebook group might help identify some of these opportunities. The GP surgery might also have some ideas, particularly if they have “social prescribing” as part of their work: this aims to match people with local non-medical services to aid recovery and promote well-being; from knitting clubs to painting groups, walking and gardening.
3. Keeping the brain ticking
A family wordle/crossword whatsapp group is a fantastic way to both keep in touch with loved ones, but also encourage the little grey cells. You might also want to arrange for example regular online bridge tournaments, backgammon games. Particularly if your loved one is relatively tech savvy, there is a world of activities online.
Offline, a book club may not be for everyone, but a perfect way to multi-task – reading, discussing books, and being sociable. Visits to the cinema – not just to see films these days, but live theatre, opera, ballet performances – even more alluring with a silver discount, and even carers go free with a Carer’s cinema card. How about joining a choir or a music group? The Tuneless choir operates groups around the UK for those who “can sing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order”. Another option might be Some Voices.
4. Enjoying the great outdoors
If managing their own garden has become too much, then joining a local gardening club might be an option. You can search on the RHS website by postcode – for allotment clubs and gardening groups. The local church or community group might have a group to help maintain the churchyard and local facilities.
If its more about walking than gardening, then the Ramblers Association has over 500 groups around the UK.
5. Keeping fit
Whether it be a regular stroll to the shops, indoor sitting exercises, gentle yoga or jog, there are so many organisations providing classes and opportunities for older people.
Move it or Lose it is an organisation specifically aimed at the over 60s, providing a range of online and in-person classes designed to improve balance and strength. You can find local classes searching on their website.
For runners, joggers or walkers how about joining a weekly ParkRun nearby. The local leisure centre will also doubtless run subsidised swimming, yoga, exercise classes; and sports clubs including football clubs providing for example walking football and other much loved sports.
And now of course there’s Padel which has been embraced by the over 60s. You can find local courts through the Padel Directory.
6. Volunteering
Depending on how active your elderly parents are, there are literally thousands of organisations crying out for volunteers. It doesn’t have to be a charity shop: museums, art galleries, the local hospital, animal sanctuary and many more would love their help. The Royal Voluntary Service has recently launched a volunteer matching service.
7. Studying in later life
The University of the third age (U3A) is a wonderful organisation providing the opportunity to learn in later life. Join a local group, undertake a course online, their course list is extensive. Perhaps its time to learn a new subject entirely – learning to paint, photography classes, pottery… The local further education college may well be able to help.
8. Relaxing at home
It doesn’t need to be all go-go- go out and about either. Relaxing at home provides the opportunity for a wide range of projects to keep busy: sorting out the photo albums – transferring to digital formats perhaps: writing a family history, or creating a family tree with organisations such as Ancestry.
Arranging regular games afternoons/nights with friends and neighbours – rummikub, bridge, canasta…
And finally...
Life may have changed immeasurably for your loved one, but hopefully there is some inspiration in this guide to help keep them busy, healthy and engaged.
