The term home care services or even an in home care service provider can immediately conjure images and thoughts of a person whose health is failing, who needs assistance for some of the most basic aspects of life, and that can lead to us treating them differently.

Have you ever found yourself treating an elderly individual with kid gloves because you were afraid that they might get hurt, that you could offend them, or that anything else would simply be inappropriate? The truth is that even though your mother, grandmother, or other elderly loved one has reached an age where their body no longer functions the way it used to, they haven’t really changed.

People who enjoy life the most, who have fun, and laugh the heartiest, tend to be individuals who have a sense of humor, who remember the things that they enjoyed in their younger years, or even their childhood, and who would still be willing to carry on with abandon once in a while, if only their body would let them.

Sometimes you should step back and let your inner child out. This can liven up the atmosphere in a home where the worry about health issues or the frustrations of being limited with mobility or things that one can do have invaded and taken over.

Bring a board game over so that you could play with your loved one and even the in home care provider. How about Chutes and Ladders, Go Fish, Monopoly? What about a video game console? Our elderly loved ones may have no direct experience with modern gaming systems, but that doesn’t mean they might not have fun racing a high performance car down the streets of France or trying to escape aliens on a foreign space ship.

Of course, you want to make sure that the activity –whatever it is- will be appropriate (seizure warnings on some game systems should be heeded) and not offensive to your loved one or the in home care provider.

If you only thought to play a game or do something ‘out of the box’ when you bring your children over to see their grandmother, for example, think about doing it with just the adults.

There’s so much to enjoy about life and even if someone is limited on what they can do at the moment doesn’t mean it’s over for them. If they can’t go out and chase the child they have within them, consider bringing it to them.

The caregivers at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your senior care needs. Great Care is an elder care agency providing quality and affordable home care services in Greenfield, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.