Several weeks ago, a dear family friend of mine suffered a devastating stroke. For a few days, his family members didn’t know if he would survive this event. Thankfully, he did. Now, he is undergoing the slow recovery process in a nursing home. Since his stroke, his family has been amazing. They visit him daily at the nursing facility. They have even decorated his room in an effort to make him feel like he is at home. If your loved one has recently been admitted to a nursing home, don’t despair. You may be able to help your loved one adjust to this living situation better by being supportive. On this blog, you will discover the ways to make your loved one’s transition to a nursing home easier.
A Home Away from Home
Four Great Ways To Use Your Time While Living In An Assisted Living Facility
Johnny Rodriguez
There are many benefits to living in an assisted living facility. One of the best benefits is the extra time you will have. Most facilities offer meals, cleaning services, and smaller living areas (making cleaning and organizing easier), so you may have more time than you may know what to do with. Here are some fun things you can do with those extra hours.
1. Work on your personal history. If you already have journals, digitize them (by scanning or typing them) so others can access them. If you haven't written much down, start recording memories now. Getting started can be overwhelming, but once you get going it will get easier. Writing one memory will lead to another and another. Don't worry about trying to write everything down chronologically. Concentrated, fleshed out stories are much more fun to write (and read for others). Write about:
- your best friends
- the people who have influenced you the most
- places you lived
- school memories
- challenges you have overcome
- favorite foods, colors, TV shows or books, etc.
- embarrassing or funny stories
- travel experiences
- spiritual experiences
You can even add pictures in where appropriate. If you want family members to be able to access it as you write it, you could put it in a blog or a cloud file sharing service.
2. Travel. Even if your health is declining, there are still trips you can take. Cruises are great because all of your food and most of your transportation will be provided. You can get some great deals if you can travel last minute. You could also go to an all-inclusive resort or arrange travel through a travel agency.
3. Take some classes. There are many online classes you can take in a variety of subjects, or you can attend some classes at a local university or recreation center. Learning new things will keep your mind young and give you lots to talk about with your friends and family.
4. Serve others. There are all kinds of ways you can serve other people. You can:
- volunteer at a library
- do genealogy
- write letters to servicemen and women
- call or visit people on hospice
- collect used clothes or blankets for the homeless
- visit people at a hospital
- teach children to read (or tutor in another subject)
Moving to a retirement community, such as Cokato Charitable Trust - Cokato Manor, will give you many new opportunities, so take advantage of all the extra time you have. Have fun!
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