Around my house, every day was National Senior Citizens Day for the summers when my folks came home from Arizona to live with me in the cooler climate of Maryland. But, I was pleased to find that August 21 is a dedicated National Senior Citizens Day in the US.
After Dad died, Mom came home to me to stay – and that’s where she remained for the last 5 years of her life. So, every Senior Citizen day around my house started with toast and a steaming cup of her favorite coffee, served on a beautiful melamime tray.
Since Mom died on February 15, 2012, life has definitely changed around my home but, what hasn’t changed is my love for the elderly. That’s why I’ve created this site.
So, instead of rehashing all of the over 200 items on this pretty extensive website, I’m going to give you a few other ideas on how to celebrate National Senior Citizen’s Day.
- Wash and vacuum your favorite senior citizen’s car. While you’re at it, add one of these adaptive car items such as a swivel seat which makes it much easier to get into and out of a vehicle.
- Rehab a favorite pair of shoes with new soles or just give them a fresh polish.
- Dinner and a movie is always a fun time. If your elderly loved on prefers to dine at home, bring in a nice dinner and bring a movie along.
- Fill the pantry with special items that your senior friend might not think to buy. My Mom loved popcorn and caramels so those were always handy at our house.
- Take your elderly friend for a nice outing – perhaps a museum or even a local mall might be enough to bring some enjoyment to an otherwise mundane day. My Mom used to love to come to nurseries with me to pick out plants.
- How about sitting down and working a jigsaw puzzle together? These large format puzzles make it easier to see and handle the pieces.
- Write your elderly loved on a letter telling them how much they mean to you. When Mom died and I was going through her things, I was touched by how many of my cards and notes she kept in a keepsake box.
- If your senior citizen friend has a pet, bring along some special pet treats or perhaps a new pet bed. A special grooming is also always welcomed.
- Create a collage of new pictures of friend, family, and, particularly, grand or great grandchildren. Add a nice frame and put it on a table where it can be viewed or attach it to the wall.
- Check around their house for things that might be difficult for your senior friend to do, like changing high lightbulbs or smoke detector batteries.
- It might sound silly but bring along a new box of crayons and a few adult coloring books. Spending some time together doing something soothing like coloring can be both enjoyable and can create a wonderful memory. For added fun, pick up a few color by number sets – Mom and I had many enjoyable times doing these.
In short, celebrate National Senior Citizens Day by showing your elderly loved one how much you love and appreciate them. Do it in your own fashion, whatever that is. You’ll be rewarded with a warm smile and a wonderful memory.
Do you have other suggestions for celebrating National Senior Citizen’s Day? If so, please leave me a comment below. Thanks and give your elderly loved one a kiss from me.