Today, Shepherd’s Center of America shares some practical tips and resources for helping older adults in your community thrive.
Many older adults face a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges that can impact their quality of life on a daily basis. And when they have no family members or friends nearby, the challenges can seem even more daunting. From mobility issues to a fixed income to social isolation, there are some simple ways you can help older adults in your community overcome these challenges by getting involved.
Boost Their Overall Health
Our health is connected to every aspect of our lives. Here are a few simple ways to help an older adult improve their all-around health:
- Help them create a realistic exercise routine that benefits their long-term health, endurance, mobility, and strength.
- Prepare nutritious meals to enjoy together.
- Suggest nightly routines and activities that can help older adults get better sleep.
- Help an aging adult learn how to make smart decisions when they’re stressed.
Support their Financial Well-Being
Financial issues can impact all areas of a person’s life. Here are a few ways to help older adults:
- Connect an older adult with a reputable financial advisor to walk them through challenges.
- Connect an older adult to free tax-aide services and SHIP counselors.
- Help aging adults create a budget that makes their fixed income provide more than enough.
- Help them keep their financial documents organized – with this free tool, you can extract a single page or range of pages from your PDF.
Get Others Involved
You can make a lasting impact on older adults in your community by yourself. But don’t hesitate to bring others on board.
- Help an older adult connect with friends in the community by driving them to activities.
- Make time to engage in fun, relaxing activities with older adults.
- Connect with a local Shepherd’s Center or other nonprofit to enlist help (e.g., exercises classes, volunteer handy helpers, friendly visitors, or enriching educational classes)
Life can be difficult for older adults who don’t have family or friends nearby. It is important to help connect them with opportunities in the community for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Use the tips and resources above to start making an impact on older adults in your neighborhood. And don’t be surprised if it drastically improves your life in the process!
Shepherd’s Center of America is a network of more than 55 hard-working affiliate centers across the U.S. If you have any questions or you’d like to work with us, we’d love to hear from you!
by Kelsey Taylor
