If you have an elderly loved one that enjoyed crafting when they were younger, it’s likely that they’ll continue to enjoy crafting now, even if they don’t have the dexterity that they once did. So if you’re looking for a way to bring joy to their life or into the lives of others who might be living in their assisted living community, here are three ways that you can make crafting easier for your elderly loved one.
Know Their Physical Capabilities
Before you jump straight into a new craft with your loved one or another elderly person, it’s wise to first know what their physical capabilities are.
For many older people, it can be hard to do things with their hands that require a lot of fine motor skills and nimble workings. So prior to picking the craft that you want to try with this person, try to get a feel for how well they can work with their hands now. Luckily, there are all kinds of crafts available that can be done by all abilities. The trick is just finding a craft that will be enjoyable and slightly challenging for them without making them feel like they’re incapable of doing it. This way, they can build up the skills that they already have without getting offended that you wanted to do a craft that was too simple for them.
Choose Subjective Activities
When trying to pick the right craft to do with an elderly loved one, it’s a good idea to choose something that has no right or wrong way to do it.
By choosing a subjective craft that can be done in any way using the materials provided, you give your elderly loved one the chance to tap into their own creativity to do something that they want. You also can help them not to feel like they didn’t do the project correctly by choosing something that can be done in any number of ways.
Bring Along Helpful Tools
Sometimes, the tools that you might use to complete a craft project can’t be used as easily by someone who has issues with dexterity in their hands. Knowing this, you should try to think about how the same thing can be accomplished using tools that might be a bit easier for them to work with. This might mean using something with a bigger handle, adding a softer grip, or something of the like.
In cases where there are no other tools that can get the job done, leaving this part for you to complete might be the best option.
If you’re wanting to do something crafty with your elderly loved one, consider using the tips mentioned above to make this easier for them.
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