Easter Party Ideas & Games For Seniors

Several things come to mind when one speaks of Easter party ideas and games for seniors. Sure, it brings the classic thoughts of Easter egg hunts, marshmallow peeps,egg decorating kits, plush Easter baskets, and Easter lily plants. And let's not minimize the wonderful thoughts of traditional baked ham, scalloped potatoes, and a beautiful Easter bunny cake!

These few things we all seem to agree on with Easter holidays and festivities. It's colorful, hence, the beginning of spring. And it's the first holiday after Christmas that really brings family and friends together. Combined, they mean a wonderful colorful event planned around wonderful colorful foods for wonderful colorful people!

What makes it more colorful than Easter party ideas and games for seniors who are always ready to mix it up and compete against each other; especially when there are prizes involved to keep them interested.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Seniors

Now that the snow has melted and days are getting longer, we’re getting a glimpse of the spring season that’s right around the corner. With warm afternoons, blooming flowers and sunshine tempting us to head outdoors, it’s important not to forget some essential tips for the inside of your home. So before you make the screened porch or patio your go-to place to spend the upcoming season, give some time and attention to certain areas inside your home.

For many seniors, the idea of spring cleaning can be overwhelming. Start with a list and prioritize items based on your environment and unique needs. Here are some tips…

Gift Ideas for Seniors

As family members and friends get older, they tend to want less material things as gifts. People have years of accumulated things and are starting to downsize their possessions and living space. This is a guide about gift ideas for seniors. 

We all have someone on our gift list who is hard to shop for because they already have it all, or have limited space, such as someone in a nursing home or assisted living home. Most often, without being too nosy, you usually have an idea of their income as well. Here are a few gift ideas (many can be used year around, not just at Christmas time), of items they will really appreciate, want, use, and that won't take up a lot of space.

• How about a box of envelopes, tablet of paper, pens and book of stamps? You could even pre-address a few of the envelopes with your name and address so you get a letter or two! You can also include a pad of return address labels.
• For someone in a confined space, a wall calendar is nice, one that you have made with family photos appropriate for each month. Then, on the calendar you can write birthdays and other special days for them.
• Are they on prescriptions? Many seniors are, and even if they have good insurance or Medicaid or Medicare, the co-pays can add up. Get them a gift card to their pharmacy, one that can be used on OTC and their RX co-pays.
• Pay a month (or more) of internet or their cable TV for them, or their trash service.
• Do they like to eat out? Get them some gift certificates for their favorite restaurant and remember some deliver, so check that as well for those who no longer get out and drive.
• How about a box of food? Something non perishable, that contains items in the sizes that they like, such as a few cans of soup, tea or coffee, canned fruits, veggies, PB, jelly, or small canned ham. Just remember to watch the package size. If the household is 2, you want enough for both, but if it consists of one, you don't want food to go to waste. Make sure it can be frozen.
  For someone on food stamps or a very limited fixed income, this is a real blessing. You might also include in that box a couple of Rubbermaid food storage type containers.
• Along that same line, after a holiday dinner, package up some of the leftovers in small containers for them to take home and freeze. A senior lady at my church once told me her only food money was the $70 a month she received in food stamps. I asked her how did she make it on that? She laughed and said she was blessed to have local family who had at least one birthday a month with a family dinner. They always picked her up and took her to the dinner, and sent her home with leftovers enough to get her through the month. She said the secret was to freeze them and rotate them so she wasn't eating the same thing over and over.
• A photo album is a good idea. Start it off with a few photos in it, and encourage other family members to send a few each month to help fill it up.
• If they have a VCR or DVD player and family that lives away, make some home movies and send to them to play.
• Other ideas include, flashlight with extra batteries, portable radio and weather radio, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, auto club dues (if they drive), pay some on their cell phone, or if they have no cell, get them a throw away phone or add them to your cell plan.
• Do something to spend time with them where you pay the way, such as a movie, dinner out, or go to their favorite outing spot.
• If money is an issue on your end, issue coupons for each month, such as January: good for one dinner at our home, February: good for using coming to your home, and we bring the popcorn and board games, March: good for a drive to where you used to live and listen to your old stories (and record them!), April: good for a picnic with the grandkids.
  Also add coupons for services they might use, such as washing their car, cleaning their carpets, windows, and mini blinds for them, mowing their lawn, working in the garden, painting, etc. Be creative; just look around and see what needs to be done, that due to finances or physical labor needs to be done and do it for them.

Will retirement homes become obsolete as more seniors stay home?

By Andrew Moran

Feb 19, 2013 - yesterday in Lifestyle

Torrance - Due to the baby boom population of the 1940s and 1950s, the American public is aging. Over the next four decades, a significant number of the baby boom generation will reach the age of 65 and will become close to a quarter of the United States population.

With advances to medical care, health technology and methods to treat illnesses and diseases, everyone is living longer. It is usually surmised, however, that seniors will have to transition to a retirement residence. No longer is this the trend due to the marketplace of home care providers in the nation.

Home Health Care

What is Home Health Care?

Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care.

More specifically, home health care may include occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, and even skilled nursing. It may involve helping the elderly with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Or it may include assistance with cooking, cleaning, other housekeeping jobs, and monitoring one’s daily regimen of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

5 Essential Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

October 18, 2010 | Posted by: Carol Marak | Posted in: Health & Nutrition for Indianapolis Seniors,Indianapolis Elder Home Care | Tagged: Winter Safety tips —

5 Essential Winter Safety Tips for Seniors


The winter months present a unique set of challenges for seniors, and they need to take added precautions in order to provide for their health and safety during a season that brings cooler temperatures, and the joy of the holiday season.