The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a weird one. On one hand, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief because Christmas is over, and that means holiday shopping is over. But, on the other hand you face more stress due to the mad sprint to wrap up projects, make New Year’s Eve plans and set resolutions for the upcoming year.
In fact, according to statistics, nearly 58% of Americans plan on making some sort of New Year’s resolution this year. These resolutions typically range from losing weight and living healthier to spending more time with family and doing more for others.
However, resolutions aren’t what this blog is about. If you or your loved one is having trouble coming up with goals for next year, we recommend checking out our Comprehensive Guide to Elderly New Year’s Resolutions. (Click Here)
This week in the Wiser Home Care Services blog, we want to talk about the more fun aspect of New Year’s: the party and activities! After all, no matter what age you are, the best part of ringing in the new year is eating junk food, playing fun games and spending quality time with our loved ones. For our elderly loved ones, having a successful New Year’s Eve celebration relies on being well prepared and planning out activities in advance. Below we have outlined 8 tips to ensure your loved one has a safe and fun New Year’s celebration.
Decorate Their Space
If your loved one has limited mobility or will be celebrating in an assisted living facility, helping them decorate their space will be a fun way to ring in the new year. We recommend streamers, party hats, table settings or you could make your own decorations with a little glue, glitter and creativity.
Have a Sing Along
Music is the life of every party. Pick some decade classics, gospel hymns, or even Christmas music (No, it’s not too late. J), then gather around in a circle and spend some time singing and even dancing.
Have a Scavenger Hunt
When the weather is poor, it makes it easy for people to sit inside and watch TV. When this happens, our time spent doing physical activity can drop to unhealthy levels. An indoor scavenger hunt is a fun way to get up and moving around plus it puts your brain to work solving the clues.
Story Time isn’t Just for Kids
As we welcome in the New Year, most people reminisce on past years and memories. Taking advantage of this natural time of reminiscence, you can set aside a period of time during your New Year’s celebration for everyone to share a favorite story of theirs from the past. It could be non-fictional or even a favorite anecdote.
Plan Around Your Loved One’s Schedule
To ensure your loved one has a healthy celebration, make sure you plan your party around their typical schedule. This means that you may need to plan for dinner around 4:30-5:00 PM. Also, keep in mind that they likely will not be able to stay up until midnight.
Have a Board Game Tournament
Board games are a great way to liven up a party and pass the time until the big countdown. Change it up this year by adding a little friendly competition and providing prizes for the winner and runner-ups.
Get Crafty
For those who don’t enjoy playing board games, we recommend building a puzzle or getting creative and making a craft to celebrate the new year. Not sure what kind of craft to do? Click here to visit our New Year’s Pinterest board.
Finally, Don’t Forget the Food
We didn’t forget about the food. After all, what’s a party without the food? Remember its ok for your loved one to eat junk food, just be mindful of how much they eat. We suggest having a good mix of healthy food and junk food on the menu. In addition, you may want to forego alcohol altogether especially if your elderly loved one is on medications.
We hope these ideas help you plan your most memorable New Year’s party to date. If you would like more help, feel free to reach out to us here at Wiser Home Care Services. We can help your family establish a care plan to personally accommodate your loved one’s needs.
Happy New Year!