When people you love are advancing in age, you want to take active steps to help them have rich and full lives. Here are some simple things that you can do to make sure that relatives who are getting older will feel well cared for, connected to loved ones, and happy.

Elderly Gardening Senior Grandmother

Coordinate Meals

When people start having a difficult time getting groceries or preparing meals, their nutrition can become poor, and their health and quality of life may suffer as a result. Help out with trips to the grocery store or arrange to have groceries delivered. Make sure that meal preparation isn’t a problem. Meal delivery services for the elderly can help facilitate access to prepared, good quality, and well-balanced meals.

Organize an Outing

Sometimes getting on in years means coping with limited mobility. This can prevent people from going places, and it may result in spending too much time indoors. Pick up your loved ones for an outing where you can spend some time together outside and enjoy nice weather. It will help them stay active and help in preventing depression or feelings of isolation.

Help Them Find Their Favorite Programs and Movies

When your parents or grandparents were younger, finding entertainment was a simple as turning on a television set and changing the channel. Entertainment isn’t as simple as flipping one switch anymore, and some seniors may find their streaming equipment or cable box difficult to navigate. There are a few easy things that you can do to help out. First, you may want to provide some brief tutorials on how to use the equipment, and it may be helpful to leave some notes. It’s important to be patient when you’re showing somebody how to use something new. Remember, it’s kind of like learning a new language, and it won’t necessarily come naturally. You may want to help fill up a DVR so they won’t have to hunt for what they’re looking for. In addition, you can always give them a call to let them know when programs are on that they may want to see and walk them through how to find them. They’ll be delighted to hear when somebody is thinking of them and wants to make sure they don’t miss out on something that they’ll enjoy like a sports event or a classic movie.

Make Computers and Tablets More User-Friendly

Some elderly individuals are put-off about using computers or tablets because it seems like an overwhelmingly complicated proposition. However, once you help your computer-challenged loved ones learn how to use a computer, they may really enjoy doing things like video chatting, looking at photos, or reading articles. One idea is to help them take a class online. Also, you can provide instructions yourself. Be prepared to walk them through some functions a few times. Let them know that they can call you if they get stuck. Make frequently used icons and apps prominent and easy to find. Also, try enhancing screen visibility in accessibility settings. You may want to consider adding bookmarks on a browser so getting somewhere online is easy and doesn’t require typing anything in.