Fun activities for older men can be drawn from their interests when they were younger.
For many older men, who’ve spent a lifetime on career, family, hobbies and interests, the concept of settling in for a day of crafting is, to say the least, unbearable. The key to identifying engaging activities for men is in first taking the time to dig back into the history of their lives to identify what caught their attention years ago, and then researching creative methods to include those ideas into their lifestyle today.
At Home With You Senior Care, we enjoy getting to know the older men we serve and offering opportunities for them to live life to the fullest extent! Below are some fun activities for older men that could work well for the patriarch in your family:
- Sports: When it comes to the sports aficionado, try out one of the many video games that enable participation in a variety of virtual sports from the comfort of home. When the timing is right, check out local high school or college schedules and take your senior loved one to attend games he most enjoys: baseball, basketball, football, swim meets, golf tournaments, etc. Or consider planning future family get-togethers around his favorite team’s games on TV, recreating a live sporting event environment with specific foods (like hot dogs and nachos), team t-shirts for the whole family to wear, banners and flags for the kids to wave, and lots of cheering, of course!
- Outdoors: If, for example, your senior loved one was a passionate fisherman or hunter, make sure he has plenty of opportunities to be in nature and to view nature programming on television or over the internet. Many nature preserves and zoos now have web cams which allow people to watch nature and animals in action any time. Consult with your local parks to determine accessibility to fishing spots and boat rentals to see if it is feasible for your loved one to enjoy some time on or by the water, or schedule a picnic in a wooded area and enjoy wildlife together. You can even talk with organizations which help individuals who are differently-abled, such as the National Association for Down Syndrome, which sometimes holds outdoor events in which a member is paired with an older person in order to supply help with fishing or other outdoor activities.
- Music: For those who played a musical instrument, sang with a band, or perhaps enjoy tapping their toes to a particular genre of music, sustaining a connection to music is extremely important, and while it could be as easy as playing favorite music and singing along, it could be made more engaging with a trip to a music store, attending a concert – again, the neighborhood high schools and colleges are an excellent resource for musical performances, or hosting a talent show for loved ones who are also musically-inclined.
- Work: Preserving a sense of purpose is important for us all. Men who are retired teachers can volunteer to tutor or read to children through the library or school system; those who were handy with tools can continue to paint, help build bird feeders or squirrel houses, focus on assembling model cars together with the grandkids. Those numerous years of knowledge can continue to benefit the next generation!
Speak to Home With You Senior Care for further tips to help the older men in your life remain active and engaged in what interests them most. Reach out to us today at 410-756-0959 for a free in-home consultation to learn how our Ellicott City elder care and our knowledgeable in-home caregivers can provide renewed joy and purpose for those you love.