Ideas for Volunteering in a Senior Living Community

Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back. One great place to start is at a senior living community. Seniors can benefit from taking classes, trying new things and getting active with the help of volunteers. Here are a few ideas you could try:

Celebrate a little-known holiday or occasion

There are various major holidays celebrated across the calendar. During those times of year, senior living communities are typically bustling with activity as families and friends come to visit bringing gifts and tasty treats. During the down-times, though, you can provide some fun and entertainment. Do so by helping a senior living community celebrate a less popular holiday. Consider Groundhog Day, National Pizza Day or Darwin Day. Or, look into health-related occasions. For example, April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. During the month consider hosting various gatherings to inform people about the disease and have a speaker come talk about his or her experiences with the condition.

Have a game night

Many senior living communities host nights where residents can enjoy cards and other games. You can liven up the occasion by bringing in new games the seniors haven’t played before. Consider teaching everyone how to play Spite and Malice, Apples to Apples or mah jongg. Talk to the community staff to learn what games they frequently play and take a poll to see what the residents may want to learn. You can even have the seniors teach you a thing or two about the games they love!

Introduce a new hobby

Retired seniors may have a lot of extra free time to fill up. Trying new hobbies is an awesome way for older individuals to maintain their independence and keep their brains active. Here are a few options to introduce to the senior community where you volunteer:

• Crafting: knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, bedazzling, sewing
• Playing music: learning to sing, trying a new instrument, even listening to new songs
• Building things: making model airplanes, creating birdhouses, constructing picture frames

Teach a tech class

Plenty of seniors haven’t learned how to use their smartphones, tablets or computers to their full potential. These incredible tools offer so many helpful resources seniors should take advantage of. You may help them do so by teaching a class on the following:

• Helpful apps: medicine reminders, calendars, even social media to connect seniors with family and friends
• Staying updated: Today’s technology needs to be updated every few weeks or months. Many seniors don’t keep up with those little notifications and may find their tech devices aren’t working properly. Help them address this issue with some tips and tricks!
• FAQ: Not every senior has a grandkid or adult child to assist them with learning new technology. This can lead to plenty of unanswered questions. You can offer to help with everything from email etiquette to how to follow someone on social media. The community residents will appreciate your time and effort as well as their new-found tech knowledge!