People have long thought of the heart as being deeply related to our emotions—and recent research says that might have been more apt than you might expect. Stress, sadness and loneliness are actually associated with high blood pressure and heart disease.
That means that your loved one’s emotional state isn’t just about their quality of life—it can have a real impact on their physical health. This Heart Health Month, look for ways to help improve your loved one’s emotional heart health as well as physical. Here are some of the best ways to do that in Charlotte.
How to Build Emotional Heart Health for Seniors
Finding happiness and connection doesn’t just make life better for seniors—it can actually improve their physical health. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to put a smile on your face, even during the winter months. Here are some of our favorites:
Help Them Display Their Pictures
Looking back on reminders of their fondest memories is a great way for seniors to rekindle their sense of meaning and connection throughout the year. That’s why many families make sure to take plenty of holiday pictures each year for older members to look back on. And if your loved one has a convenient, attractive way to view those photos, it’ll be a lot easier for them to use them as a source of constant joy.
If you took lots of holiday photos or brought out old family albums this December, now is a great time to do something special with them. Here are some of the best ways to help seniors store and display their family photos:
- Put together an album. A low-tech photo album is still one of the ways to display family photos—especially old ones from before digital cameras. Assembling an album together (and sorting, labeling and dating your photos) can also be a great way to bond with your loved one.
- Get a photo book printed. A wide variety of services like Shutterfly can create custom-printed photo books for your family. Make sure to go for a photo book made with high-quality paper and bindings: If it’s a pleasure to hold and page through, your loved one will be more likely to spend time with it.
- Get them a digital frame. These high-quality screens are just like a framed photo, except you can set them up with a rotating series of family photos to enjoy. Some of them like Frameo even let you upload new photos to your loved one’s frame from anywhere.
We’ve often found that going through older photos can also spark an interest in genealogy. It’s both an engaging hobby to stay busy during the winter and a great way for your loved one to share your family history with the next generation.
If they show an interest in genealogy research, there are plenty of local resources to help. Try visiting one of these together:
- The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System
- The Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte
- The Oasis program at the Charlotte JCC
Schedule Time Together
All too often, we mean to spend time with family, but those plans never seem to materialize. It’s not that we’re lazy or uncaring—the problem is that we didn’t make a specific plan.
Next time you speak with your loved one, don’t just tell them you’d like to see them again soon; set a specific date, time and location. That way, everybody knows exactly when, where and how to show up.
Don’t focus on a checklist of tasks—we can connect you with local services to help your loved one with their chores. Instead, plan out a fun activity that you can do with them for your next visit. This will give them something to look forward to, which can go a long way toward boosting their mood and warding off loneliness.
Between visits, it’s also a great idea to schedule video calls with a senior in your life between in-person visits so you can reconnect and keep them company. (A caregiver can help your loved one manage the video call.)
During these calls, you can even set up online activities with them. We’re huge fans of online board game services like Real Mah Jongg, Canasta Junction or Board Game Arena (which has a huge variety of other board games).
Setting a specific time and date is important. Having something concrete to look forward to has been shown to greatly impact mental health, and can even make it easier to handle negative events.
Help Them See Signs of Renewal & Connection
Simple as it might seem, just seeing birds can boost older people’s moods, especially during the winter when they’re hard to find. Whether or not your loved one is a serious hobbyist, birdwatching can create a sense of vitality and connection to the outside world.
That’s why one good way to help your loved one stay happy is to get them a birdfeeder, so all they need to do is look out the window. (Don’t worry—a caregiver can help them keep the feeder full.) When the weather’s good, you can also take them to Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary, where the unique Southern horticulture brings a wide variety of rare birds
Take Them On a Virtual Tour
While it’s no substitute for real travel, technology can help seniors experience places and events from far away. In fact, it’s far easier to visit many unique locations virtually than you might expect since COVID. Museums offer 3D walkthroughs and tours, zoos have panda and monkey cams and many YouTube channels share in-person visits of overseas locations.
On top of that, a surprisingly large number of events are streamed online these days. Streaming a concert, a live comedy performance or a farm show can be a great way to spend an afternoon or evening—especially if you prepare some themed snacks to make it feel like more of an occasion.
Get Them a Trusted Companion
Happiness and stress relief don’t just put a smile on your loved one’s face—they can actually improve their health and longevity. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to lift their mood, from helping them display their most treasured photos to giving them companionship by scheduling virtual tours and board game nights with them.
If your loved one needs another reason to smile during the winter months, FirstLight Home Care of Greater Charlotte is here for them. Our compassionate caregivers are trained to offer companion care, a form of care where they don’t just help with practical matters—they also become a genuine companion and friend your loved one can count on throughout the day.
Want to learn more about how you can improve your loved one’s mood and quality of life? Contact us today.
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