I’ve talked quite a lot about ways that older adults can volunteer in their communities, but today I wanted to do something a little different. Let’s talk about ways that we can help seniors in our community. In this sense, I am talking about how we can help the older adults who we have in our lives, be it our friends or neighbors, or family members. I may talk about volunteering with seniors in a the community in a broader sense at a later date.
Decorating Help
Especially as we near the holidays, a lot of older adults have decorations that they may need help getting out of storage or putting up. This shouldn’t take too long, usually an afternoon or two, but it can help older adults enjoy the holidays in their homes.
Technology Help
A lot of older adults know their way around technology (many Boomers worked with technology in their careers), but sometimes they still need help. Letting your neighbors know that you can help troubleshoot their TV can be helpful to them and it’s relatively low commitment. That is, unless they can never work their TV.
Household Tasks They Can’t Manage Anymore
This can be anything, from mowing the lawn and clearing snow to cleaning outdoor windows. The key here is to phrase your offer in a way that doesn’t imply that your loved one can’t take care of their own home. Phrase it more like you were going to mow your lawn and thought you’d also do theirs while you were at it.
I have more examples, so stay tuned either today or tomorrow!
Written by Brigid Coffey
