Most of us have an older person in our lives who could probably need some of our time and attention. Below are some tips:
- Spend time at a nursing or retirement home. If you don’t know someone currently residing there, you will likely find someone who no longer has family or friends visiting them. A little of your time can make a huge difference.
- Reach out to a senior in your family. Many older persons start to decline when they feel their opinions and thoughts are no longer valuable to others. Ask for their advice about a difficult situation you’re currently going through.
- Volunteer for an organization that helps seniors. I’ve worked for Dorot, JASA and Selfhelp Community Services – they all do wonderful work.
Need more inspiration? Find ideas here or here or here. And once you spend time with a senior, consider making this something you do all year round.
I not only encourage younger people to reach out and extend invitations to seniors, I also encourage older people to say “Yes!” more often to opportunities to socialize, learn or have fun. If you don’t enjoy it, you don’t have to do it again — but more often than not, good things will come of getting a little out of your comfort zone now & again.