Indoor Activities to Promote Wellness
When someone is housebound due to limited mobility, it is important that the caregiver encourages and engages in activities with the individual to promote both mental and physical wellbeing. When someone cannot leave their home on a daily basis and needs extra care, it is even more important to focus on their emotional and physical wellbeing.
In this blog post, we are going to discuss some activities that will promote physical wellbeing and some that promote mental health that can be performed by someone who suffers from limited mobility. Continue reading to learn about activities that a caregiver can enjoy with their patient that will promote overall well being.
Did you know that in NYC if someone needs a caregiver, they can choose a friend or family member and the CDPAP program will pay their wages? Contact Ultra Care Family Wellness to learn more!
Chair Exercises
For individuals with limited mobility, chair exercises can be a fun option to promote physical wellness. It’s especially important for those that spend a lot of time inside to move around a bit. Of course, the exercises that are possible depend upon the individual’s mobility. The caretaker can create a unique routine around their ability to make it challenging, yet achievable.
Reading
Promoting mental wellness is just as important as physical wellness for an individual that is housebound. Just because they can’t physically leave their home every day, doesn’t mean they can’t visit another world through reading. Reading keeps the mind sharp and can be an enjoyable hobby to pass the time. Reading has been shown to improve memory, reduce stress, improve sleep, and delay cognitive decline.
Cooking
Many cooking activities can be done from a chair right at the kitchen table for those that have limited mobility. With supervision from their caregiver, they can slice, dice, prep, and mix ingredients. It might be necessary for the caregiver to help with lifting or anything that requires long periods of standing depending upon the individual’s condition. The patient can choose to cook an old family recipe or look up a new one. Cooking and baking is a fun activity that many people enjoy and can even help create some healthy eating habits.
Indoor Gardening
Just because an individual cannot go outside, that doesn’t mean they can’t have a few plants or herbs in their windowsill or on a porch or balcony. They can even choose to plant vegetables and herbs to use during cooking. Gardening can be done with someone who has limited mobility and it is a very rewarding experience to see something grow that you have planted and nurtured..
Music
Whether an individual wants to listen to music or play music, both promote wellness. Music is something that we enjoy all throughout our lives. It reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. Music has also been known to improve immune function, sleeping habits, and memory. So whether the patient wants to put on their favorite record, listen to a new channel, or play the piano, music is beneficial all-around.
Learn a New Language
Learning a new language promotes cognitive function. It takes dedication and time, but it is extremely rewarding. The patient can also learn about the culture while they learn the language. If someone has always wanted to learn Spanish or Italian, why not start now? They can even cook a dish that celebrates the country’s heritage.
Puzzles and Games
Puzzles and games are a great way to promote mental wellness. Puzzles encourage problem-solving skills and games can be entertaining and require intellect or skill. Whether the patient enjoys chess, a game of poker, or Monopoly, any puzzle or game can be challenging and rewarding.
Learn a New Skill
Just because someone has limited mobility, doesn’t mean that they can’t learn a new skill. They could learn to knit, crochet, play guitar, or any other skill that is within their physical ability. Learning a new skill takes concentration and time. It’s a great way to engage someone who has limited access to leave their home. You can even find instructors online for many skills. Learning something new promotes cognitive function and mental wellness.
Paint or Draw
Creative activities such as painting and drawing have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and decrease negative emotions in those battling chronic illnesses. So grab a pencil or a paintbrush and let the patient draw or paint a picture of a pet, a loved one, or maybe just of some flowers they have growing in their windowsill.
Invite Friends for a Visit
Being isolated in your home due to mobility issues can become lonely very quickly. Invite over friends, family members, or neighbors to share that new meal that the patient just cooked or to play a game. Relationships and socializing are fundamental parts of mental health.
Contact Ultra Care Family Wellness
If you or a loved one needs an in-home caregiver, contact Ultra Care Family Wellness in NYC. We can help a family member or friend enroll in CDPAP to care for their loved one at home and get paid for it! Contact us today for more information.