From the family Concordia: St. Patrick's Day is March 17th. This year, many of us might not be able to celebrate the holiday the way we usually do. If you want to practice social distance, you have to skip the St. Patrick's Day parade and other group activities. And if a senior is in a nursing home or personal care/assisted living facility and can't visit for a short time, they might not be able to spend the holiday with a loved one in person.
Senior care communities don't often have rules about who can visit, but if your senior loved one lives far away, this might sound all too familiar. And it can be hard for many family members to find ways to stay in touch.
At Concordia, we're always looking for ways to help our residents stay in touch with family and friends and do things with them. If you've been looking for ways to stay in touch with your parents when you can't see them in person, here are five options.
Video Chat
Video calling is a great way to keep in touch. Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and many other apps let you check in with the touch of a button on any smartphone, tablet, or Wi-Fi-enabled device. Even though a video call might be great and easy for you, your parents might have some questions about how to set it up. If your loved one can't call you, talk to the people who work at the facility. They probably won't mind setting up a video call to help connect you with your parents.
Messaging
Sending a "thinking of you" message is another great way to stay in touch. There are a lot of ways to let your parents know you're thinking of them during the day. You can send them an email or text message, a letter in the mail, or even a short video.
Subscription services or care packages
A care package is always appreciated and can be a great way to let mom or dad know you're thinking about them. Consider sending a box with their favorite foods (make sure you know if they can't eat something), pictures of family and friends, and other things they like. If you're looking for something that you can do over and over again, a subscription box could be the answer. Most boxes are cheap, and they can also be helpful for seniors who have trouble moving around. Many subscription boxes also offer discounts and rebates to people who sign up for the first time.
Apps
There are a lot of apps that can help you stay in touch with a senior loved one who has an iPad, E-reader, or other tech-friendly device. Social networks like ThirdAge and Rezoom are made for older people and are a great way for them to share photos, videos, and news. Also, you can always download games that you and your friends can play together in real time. If your loved one likes to read, you could share books on a Kindle or Nook and talk on the phone later.
Activities
Even though there's no better way to do something than in person, that doesn't mean you can't do it online. Think about doing your loved one's favorite thing at a set time during the day and then talking about it later. For example, you and your loved one can watch the same movie, read the same book, bake, cook, sew, craft, garden, or do any other hobby together without meeting in person. If your parents prefer video calling, you can do anything while you talk to each other in real time.
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