If you’re someone who loves volunteering and has been thinking about spending more time volunteering with the elderly, there are a few things that you may want to know before you show up at an assisted living facility and start interacting with the residents there. While your care and attention will likely be very much appreciated, if you’re able to come into this situation with a little foreknowledge, you may find yourself having a better experience and creating a better experience for the seniors as well.
To help you in doing this, here are three things to keep in mind when you’re volunteering with the elderly.
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Choose Activities You’ll Both Enjoy
If you’re someone who might feel slightly uncomfortable around elderly people, you may want to come up with some activities that you could do together to help you both feel more comfortable around one another.
Many elderly people can still do all kinds of activities that you likely enjoy as well. Some of these might include things like playing cards or other games, chatting about books or movies you’ve seen or love, trying different foods, listening to music together, doing crafts, and enjoying nature together. By having some kind of plan in place when you get to the senior center you’re volunteering at, you can help each person you interact with have a more enjoyable time.
You’re Their Social Outlet
For many seniors in care facilities, they may not get visitors as often as they’d like. While some might have family and friends close by that come to see them regularly, others might not have any relatives who come to visit them at all. Knowing this, you could very well be one of the only social outlets that many of these people have.
Because of this, there’s a good chance that the seniors you interact with will want to sit and chat with you a lot. So to prepare for this, make sure you’re ready to hear some of their stories and look at them with an encouraging smile while they’re speaking.
Many Seniors Love Kids But Don’t See Them Much
Unfortunately, many seniors don’t get to see kids very much. So if you have children, young or older, you may want to consider bringing them with you when you volunteer with the elderly, too.
Children have a great way of bringing the best out in people sometimes, which can make having them visiting and volunteering at senior facilities a great idea. This can also be an amazing learning experience for your kids as well.
If you’re going to be volunteering with the elderly soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find the best ways to do this.
Hello,
I am Pritam Chakrabortty. I’m a professional blogger and author. My passion is travelling and explore new unseen places. My travelling passion makes me create this blog to share my travel experiences.