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The holidays are usually a very busy time. We run around trying to cram more events than normal into the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Between work parties, celebrations with friends and coordinating days off of school, there's little time left for family. But, this is the perfect time to visit your senior mom if she lives alone, and here's why.
Check her health and safety
If your mom doesn’t live nearby, you probably don’t get over to her house often. These holiday visits can be a great opportunity to see how she’s feeling and how things are going for her. Ask how her doctors’ appointments have gone, or how she fills her time. You might also check on all the nitty-gritty things like finances, etc. A Place for Mom offers a Senior Safety and Well-Being Checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Make sure her house is in good repair
A major concern for older adults who live alone is house upkeep. Especially when the home is a free-standing single family home with surrounding yard. If you’re not around throughout the year to help manage, use your holiday visit to note the ongoing maintenance issues your mom will need help with. Trimming trees and bushes, mowing the lawn, repairing plumbing or the roof are some examples.
Visits with family lift her spirits
The real reason you visit family is to spend quality time with them. This is no different. If you haven’t seen your mom in a while, even if you regularly talk on the phone or over the computer, she’ll be delighted to spend in-person time with you. A visit from loved ones can leave lasting effects, too. She’ll likely keep the warmth from this visit in her heart for a while.
Share memories/learn from her past
Do you ever think about questions you really want to ask your mom after you leave? Visiting with her during the holidays is a great time to ask about how she and your dad met, or what it was like growing up with 10 siblings. Get together and see where the nostalgia leads. This can be especially helpful if she lives with any form of dementia.
Create new experiences
Of course, new get-togethers also mean opportunities for new memories! Is there a pastime you know your mom loves? Make arrangements to do it together. Or, if she has grandkids, get them involved in an activity. Be sure to take photos to document the different generations together, too!
Bring a gift of peace of mind
Lastly, visiting your senior mom during the holidays is a great time to bring her a medical alert monitoring system. With One Call Alert, you can get your mom all set up ahead of time and get the system shipped to you so all you have to do at her house is plug it in and test. Call us today for more information about getting started.