How To Help Your Elderly Loved One Enjoy Halloween
Halloween is on the way! As the end of the month draws closer, the excitement surrounding the annual haunt-fest grows. People of all ages enjoy dressing up in spooky costumes, dispensing (and receiving) candy, and partying with friends. Don’t assume that seniors don’t enjoy the festivities. While you’re not bound to see any older adults trick or treating, there are many different ways they can enjoy Halloween. Let’s discuss how you can help them!
Set Up Some Spooky Décor
As mentioned, seniors aren’t known for their trick or treating ways. Obviously, that’s an activity generally reserved for kids. Decorating the house, on the other hand, is certainly a task that seniors can partake in. It can be a lot of fun transforming your home into a haunted house. As Ashley Huntsberry-Lett points out on AgingCare.com, houses can be decorated to celebrate the height of the fall season with pumpkins, wreaths of fall foliage, and cinnamon brooms.
They can also “be made into sinister dwellings full of cobwebs, spooky figurines, bats and spiders,” she explains, “Regardless of how you wish to decorate, make sure that none of these items presents a tripping or fire hazard. One of the best ways to do this is to place larger decorations outside on the lawn and keep indoor embellishments to smaller accents.”
Tell Scary Stories
You don’t have to reserve your spooky storytelling for campfires. The Halloween season is the perfect time of year to share your chilling tales. A warm and cozy living room filled with loved ones makes the ideal setting for your “spookfest”. Naturally, it’s a safe environment. If you don’t know any scary stores offhand, feel free to research a few online.
“Thanks to today’s technology, senior citizens can download audiobooks from Kindle or their local library and choose a scary story from their favorite author,” points out McPeak’s Assisted Living in Long Island, New York, “It may be a good idea to stick to the classics from writers such as Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, or Edgar Allen Poe. They can also stream old-time radio stations on the Internet and hear spooky shows like Lights Out!”
Design Comfortable Costumes
Is there a tailor or seamstress in your family? If your elderly loved one knows his/her way around a needle and some thread, encouraging some costume making should certainly be on the menu. According to Huntsberry-Lett, for some, the ability to dress up is the best part of celebrating Halloween.
“If your loved one wants and is able to, assist them in making a costume and let them show it off on Halloween night,” she writes, “Keep in mind that complicated clothing may make it difficult to walk and/or manage trips to the restroom. Ideally, Halloween costumes for seniors should be safe and comfortable to wear and should not inhibit your caregiving duties. This will ensure both of you can enjoy the festivities without hassle.”
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