Key to Active

How to motivate retired parents to stay active and engaged.
Retirement and old age can hang heavily on senior citizens. A bored, vacant life means many things-the most worrying being the implication on health. Research shows that elders who keep themselves busy are less prone to disease and depression.


Certain areas of our brain shrink as we age causing slower thinking and memory loss. But 3 hours of brisk walking every week might stop, even reverse it. The study looked at sedentary adults aged 60 to 80. They were put on either a walking or a stretching-and-toning plan. After six months, their MRI scans revealed that their brains looked two to three years younger than those of others their age!
Could there be a more compelling reason for you to motivate the elderly to stay physically and mentally active? Get your parents/in-laws to accompany you on your morning walks. Apart from giving them the much-needed exercise it will allow you to spend time (something you are always short of if you are a working woman) with them.
key to active
Here are a few ideas to keep the senior members of your household happily occupied-of course many of these activities are natural and commonsense-but often escape us in the hurly-burly of life.

Around & about the house

Gently persuade mum or dad to take on the responsibility for a daily chore, and make them feel important for doing it.
* You could set a story-telling hour for the kids with the grandparent-this way the youngsters will be drawn away from TV and will learn a bit about their own culture and folklore.
* Grandma could pitch in with a few folk numbers that are still heard at family weddings or festivities and which would be fun singing in a chorus of handclaps.
* Grandpa could discuss the latest sports headlines with the kids.
* Grandparents can teach older children how to read and write in their mother-tongue-or if that's too much, at least ask them to read out stories aloud in your language.
* If you have little ones, your mum could supervise bedtime and sing lullabies, while you unwind with your spouse after dinner.
* Entrust a daily task such as making the morning tea, or setting up the coffee percolator for afternoon coffee to dad-in-law. He may actually enjoy doing his bit.
* When the vegetable vendor comes in the morning, encourage the seniors to buy the day's choice and set the menu for meals-this can be of such help if you are a working woman! Mum-in-law might even volunteer to chop the greens and lay the table in style.
* Guide them to the outdoors

Keeping the elderly busy within the house is all very fines, but they definitely need their share of fresh air, mild exercise and socializing. Nudge them; if necessary nag them, to take up an outdoors activity.
* Introduce mum and dad to the local grey-haired club and to your friends' parents and in-laws. It will help them form their own network so that they can go out shopping, watch a movie or a play together.
* If you have a patch of green in your house or even a balcony/terrace in the flat, urge them to take up gardening-buy them gardening books, flower and vegetable seeds, and implements to make things easier for them. They will get satisfaction seeing their plants grow.
* Introduce them to a new and relaxing hobby such as bird-watching-invest in a pair of binoculars and a good book on birds.


When a busy person gives up a job, their energy can be channeled into a consuming hobby which they often take up with intense passion and involvement. You can do your bit by suggesting off-beat hobbies and buying books and equipment needed for them. Here are a few ideas:active hobbies
* Wine making
* Cacti collecting
* Memoir writing
* Fabric painting

Start a Project

There are many things that we would like to do but put off since we don't have the time. Assign this 'project' to the older members of the family and they'll do it with pride and involvement.
* Ask dad to trace the family-tree and record it for posterity.
* Buy two or three thick photo albums and the elderly would love to take on the task of organizing and pasting all the family photographs that have been lying in the drawers in a random manner.
* Request mum-in-law to write down all the family recipes to make a Family Recipe Book.
* Request mum and dad to take charge of the greetings card list before Christmas. They could even make the cards, roping in the children.
And while you are planning and organizing activities for the elderly do not forget to show your gratitude. Remember, they are doing you a favor by taking many of these chores off your hands. It's a win-win situation when thoughtfulness and gratitude are ingredients while living together as a family. It leaves everyone smiling!
active health
Make sure they do not focus on their age
We almost assume that the elderly have nothing to do with modern technology-but some of them take to gizmos with absolute glee, and spend hours tinkering with them.
* Introduce them to Internet-chatting and interactive programs like Skype-they will spend hours keeping in touch with friends and family, and feel happily connected.
* Buy dad a digital camera and hand-hold him through the first few weeks - he'll soon be the official photographer of the family.
* Hook mum on to microwave cooking and let her experiment with new dishes and recipes, something you may not have time for yourself.
* Buy a musical synthesizer and get them started on picking out old film numbers and other songs.