We love making our senior clients happier! One of the main reasons that we offer home care and home support to seniors is to keep seniors healthy and happy where they want to be – at home! But it’s more than just supporting their goal of aging at home. Outside of the basics like living conditions, safety and health, there are some additional components indicated in modern literature as cornerstone pieces for happiness. Among the most prominent are growth and learning, practicing gratitude, travel and adventure, and relationships.
Growth and learning are ever popular, even somewhat trendy. Not a bad trend. Overall, happiness has increased across our society over the past few decades. One way we see our senior clients continuing to learn and grow is via the internet, and by learning about new gadgets. It’s fun!
As for giving thanks … people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they’re thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems. I’m thankful that gratitude gives back so much!
Travel and adventure could more simply be titled ‘adventure’. Traveling is an adventure! Many of us like being in our comfort zones for varying periods of time, but there are also times when feeling adventurous is exhilarating. And if someone isn’t able to visit the certain locale they want to – you can get creative and bring the locale to them. Theme nights, posters/images and music are three easy ways that our caregivers take someone there without leaving the comforts of home.
And relationships … this is perhaps the most important piece of all. Focusing on people, not ‘things’, is supported as a most important route toward increased happiness. Whether it’s individuals connecting with family more often, fostering or building a new relationship with someone you admire and want as a friend, or ending a relationship or friendship in your life that takes away from you more than it gives … it’s so important to pay close attention to our relationships. I’ve heard it said that ‘who we are’ is strongly influenced by the five closest relationships/friendships in our lives. With that in mind, we should monitor our relationships much more closely than we monitor our email! We can see why it’s so important to nurture our relationships with those most meaningful to us.
Whether it’s increasing the happiness for a senior at home or turning up the dial on our own happiness meter, happiness is built on strategies and practices. Happy practicing!
Tawnya and Chris Wilkinson
Nurse Next Door
Home Care Services
250-748-4357 (Duncan); 250-667-0190 (Nanaimo); 250-927-1895 (Parksville)
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