How to Stay Connected with your Senior Family Members

Staying connected with elderly family members or friends may seem like a simple task but how many times have you planned to visit or make that phone call only to put it off time and time again? We understand, life gets busy, schedules fill up quickly and sometimes these well-intended thoughts fall to the wayside. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of ways to help you and your senior loved one stay connected.

1. Teach Them about Modern Technology

The older you get the more difficult it is to stay up-to-date with the latest tech trends, however, there are specific tech told out there that can make staying in touch a breeze for your loved ones, especially if you don’t live nearby. Set aside some time to teach them how to use some of these tech tools to communicate:

Video Chat: FaceTime, Google Nest, Skype, Alexa Portal, etc.

Video chats are a great way to cross the miles between family members, and they can help you keep visual track of any physical changes to your loved one.

Email, text messages, smart phones/tablets

This remains one of the most common and convenient ways to connect with people, it’s a little more user-friendly for people who may not be as tech-savvy.

Social Media: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, etc.

Don’t discount your senior loved ones. Recently there’s been an increase in the amount of elderly people using social media platforms. It’s an easy way for both parties to stay connected with one another. Grandparents love being able to see fresh photos of their grandchildren on Facebook — just be sure you don’t post anything you wouldn’t want grandma to see!

2. Schedule a regular dinner or lunch date

A weekly dinner date (or more frequently, if possible) is a good way to touch base and make sure everything is going smoothly. It’s a great way to check in without seeming overbearing. Try to keep in mind that they want to maintain their independence, and they may not to respond well if you try to tell them what to do. Instead, inquire about how things are going in a more laid back manner to avoid upsetting them.

3. Visit to help them with specific tasks

Another way to keep updated on how your older parent is doing is to volunteer for a specific task such as taking them grocery shopping or helping them put up decorations around their home. This gives you a good reason to touch base with them — and it will also give them something to look forward to. Remember: don’t expect them to flat out tell you that if they’re feeling lonely or depressed. Instead, take steps to minimize the risk of them feeling this way.

4. Schedule Monthly Outings

Take them to a local play, concert, or to a movie. This one’s easy, just take their interests into account and check out what events around going on around where they live and be sure to take their physical abilities and current health into account when scheduling an activity.

Considering Senior Living?

Summit Pointe is the only established senior living community in Marion, Iowa. We have won numerous awards based on our quality of care including our most prestigious awards which are the Bronze and Silver National Quality Awards.

We offer many levels of care including independent living, assisted living and memory care. We’re also the only Marion senior community that offers transition from independent to assisted living without having to move rooms or buildings.

Our goal is to encourage vibrant, active lifestyles for our community members in an all-inclusive setting. Give us a call and let us help you consider all of your options so you can determine the right level of care for your loved one.