Importance of Father's Day for the elderly
It's that time again; Father's Day is swiftly approaching… Father’s Day lets your elderly dad know that they're loved, valued and appreciated.
It’s time to dash to The Card Factory, panic buy the last remaining card, and buy that aftershave kit that will inevitably be regifted back to yourself for Christmas. So why not take this Father’s Day to instead do an activity with your dad? After all, they’re what’s important this Father’s Day. Perhaps as we’ve grown into adults, parents may assume that they are no longer as needed as they once were. Father’s Day is a great opportunity to remind them how wrong that is, and how much we value our dear old dads.
Activities for Father’s Day
Here is a list of some typical ‘dad’ activities that dads just love:
Fishing
There’s nothing like a cool evening breeze with a beer in hand and a rod in the other to get back to nature. I guess it’s just a ‘dad’ thing and on the birth of their first child, they are gifted their first rod and told to fish for the next 60 years. Fishing is a great way to spend Father’s Day this year.
Football
Why it’s popular for everyone, there’s something quintessentially ‘dad-like’ when it comes to cheering on your team at the football. Taking your dad out for Father’s Day to enjoy other dads playing football, surrounded by other dads also watching football, is the ultimate Dad Day Out.
Camping
Perhaps it’s the Neanderthal Dad emerging, but fathers just love a good tent, sleeping bag and bonfire. Getting back to nature and heating up the portable grill just seems to come naturally to them. Clad in wellies and thermals, they’ll be in their element while out camping this Father’s Day.
Concerts
If your dad just loves a bit of live music, why not take him out to see a band? This way, awkwardly nodding to the music with his hands in his pockets, your dad will be having the time of his life. There’s nothing better than this on Father’s Day to bring father and child closer together.
Activities for Father's Day include:
Benefits of Father’s Day Activities for the elderly
Here are some ideas for activities to do with your elderly dad this Father’s Day:
Reminiscing
Reminiscing about old times is a happy and fun way to show your dad appreciation. While it serves the purpose of embarrassingly remembering your awkward teenage years, it also helps your dad improve his cognition skills by recalling memories.
Getting together
Intergenerational activities with grandchildren can help the conversational skills of older people. It also decreases the risk of loneliness while encouraging spending time with other people, even the 15-year-old obsessed with the latest boy band.
Day trips
A day trip is a great way of getting your dad some exercise. If your dad is a wheelchair user, take him somewhere accessible such as a park. If he has dementia, take him somewhere nostalgic like the street he grew up in back in the good old days.
Partake in hobbies
Taking your dad out to enjoy his favourite hobbies can be an enjoyable experience for your elderly parent. While they may not be able to score a hole-in-one like they used to, that doesn’t mean you can’t take your dad out to the local golf course.
Attend events
Events are great ways of spending time together which could mean getting out and about a bit more. Community theatre, museums, local heritage sites or landmarks may be of significant interest to your father and prevent loneliness.
Movie night
Movies are great conversation starters and are often a fun and relaxing activity if your dad is less mobile. Pop on your dad’s favourite film and reminisce about when he first saw it. Or why not show him a new one about his favourite subject?
Barbecue
Your dad may be getting on in years, but you can still cook his old favourites! There’s nothing a dad likes to do more than standing guard over some barbecue ribs, so this can be a fun activity for your Pa to remember old interests.
Dine Out
Having a Father’s Day meal is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate your dad. Dining out with the whole family can be a great way to relax. Or if your dad has some mobility issues, cooking a meal together at home can be the perfect solution.
Benefits of Father's Day include:
How Helping Hands can help with your elderly care
Is your dad starting to struggle a little lately?
Is your dad starting to struggle a little lately? Perhaps they’re becoming overwhelmed with life’s daily tasks as they grow older. Beginning your twilight years can be a cherished period of any person’s life, but it can come with its challenges. As our body grows older, we may struggle to perform physical tasks as we once did. Mobility decline is natural and adaptive care plans should be put in place to achieve the best possible quality of life. As we age, our mental health may also decline with conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s being very common in older people.
This Father's Day, check in with dad about his care options.
We can provide elderly care to help your dad with any condition or age-related frailty he may be dealing with. We offer live in care, visiting and respite care within the comfort of their own home. Tailoring our care packages around them and their needs, we offer condition-led care, emergency care, and even nurse-led care if you’re after a more medically trained eye. This Father’s Day is the perfect time to start the conversation with Dad about getting him some help from Helping Hands.
