Crafts For Elderly With Poor Eyesight
Part of the decline with age is that our eyesight grows poorer, and we can no longer see the projects were working on. Fortunately, we have some craft ideas for that.
This project allows seniors to make a cute necklace or bracelet for their grandchildren using easily available beads and can be easy to see if large and brightly colored.
Its a fairly straightforward project. Simply run your string through the holes of the beads and seal the ends together. You can also paint the beads any way you or the recipient like.
Creating clothes and fabric patterns is a staple activity for seniors. There are now easier ways of doing it with the hands and eyes. Loom knitting allows you to work around your disadvantage.
Knitting with a loom is faster and easier than regular knitting. Run your yarn or string around the loom pegs and weave layers on top of each other. Youll have a complete article of clothing in no time.
A terrarium is a prime example of using a small space to emulate a large one. You can have a tree within view where there are none and look ahead to an incoming vacation before even booking a trip.
This miniature environment is a great habitat for any small pets you can have, and its easy to assemble. Add your rocks, sand, dirt, and artificial environment, and enjoy the view.
This is a great gift to give to bookworms. Its heartfelt, functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Easy Crafts For Seniors With Limited Dexterity
There are many senior citizens who have limited dexterity in their hands and fingers. This can make crafting and activities involving fine motor skills quite difficult.
However, there are still plenty of fun crafts that family members can give to and do with seniors who have limited dexterity.
Crafting can be a fun and rewarding activity for older adults, regardless of their physical limitations.
Its a great way to build up a new skill and to enjoy old ones as well. There are many crafts that can be easily adapted to fit the needs of seniors with limited dexterity.
The medical issue that affects most seniors with limited dexterity is arthritis. This condition can make it difficult to grip objects and perform fine motor tasks.
However, there are many decorative crafts that dont require a lot of gripping or dexterity.
One way to make crafts more manageable for seniors with arthritis is to use thicker materials. This will help to reduce the amount of dexterity needed to complete a craft project.
Additionally, using tools with larger handles can also make crafting easier for those with arthritis.
The tools you use will depend on the skill level of the senior using them. But generally speaking, some tools you may want to have on hand are
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An experienced health writer, Brittany Loggins understands how important it is to have a comprehensive understanding of the products she’s recommending. All of the products found in her pieces have either been tested by her first hand, or have been recommended by trusted medical professionals.
Additional reporting for this story by Elizabeth Yuko
As a seasoned health writer and editorand someone with rheumatoid arthritisElizabeth Yuko understands how much of a difference finding the right product makes for those with arthritis. Shes always on the lookout for new products, techniques, and services that can help people cope with their health challenges.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Arthritis. November 3, 2021.
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Important Considerations For Crafting With Seniors With Limited Dexterity
There are a few important things to keep in mind when doing crafts projects with seniors who have limited dexterity. The first is patience. When I first started going over to my uncles place to do crafts with him, I was surprised by how difficult it was for him to complete what I would consider to be simple tasks, such as using a glue stick or picking up markers. I immediately realized that I had to muster all the patience I had to let him do things on his own instead of taking the reigns.
The point is not to get things done quickly but to engage the mind and the hands while enjoying the process of creation. I also had to remind him to have patience with himself. At first, he would get very down on himself for not being able to pick up buttons or use a paintbrush like he used to. But eventually, with enough reminders, he became more patient with himself and more accepting of his decreased dexterity.
In the same vein, be sure to block out enough time for the project. While they dont have to finish it in one sitting, you dont want your aging loved one to feel rushed while crafting, as that can make them feel frustrated. Instead, think of creating art as therapy. Put on some nice music, make a cup of tea, and embrace a leisurely pace.
Arts And Crafts Therapy Ideas For Seniors In Nursing Homes
Arts and crafts for seniors have proven to have countless benefits. They grant a sense of achievement and improve self-esteem. Crafts can help facilitate socialization, particularly in seniors who are cooped up in the house or a care center.
If youre looking for ways to help seniors deal with boredom or other problems, arts and crafts are an excellent choice. Below, you will find some ideas for arts and crafts seniors to perform throughout the seasons.
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Items To Help With Everyday Tasks
Sometimes people with arthritis could use a little extra assistance, and a tool or item that can help eliminate some of that work would do the trick. Obviously, devices that do some of the work for you can be very helpful, Kaplan says. This can include things like an electric mixer, or an electric carving knife in the kitchen, or an electric screwdriver or jigsaw in a workshop.
And these aids arent limited to objects that can help around the house, according to Frances Lomibao, MD, a rheumatologist and founder of Lomibao Rheumatology & Wellness Care. In the work setting, one should look to optimize prior biomechanics and posture, she tells Verywell Health. Some ideas are standing or adjustable desks to help reduce being sedentary and correct proper posture of the shoulders, hips, and limbs.
Additionally, Lomibao recommends items like a vertical computer mouse to correct wrist posture, and a saddle-shaped stool to help keep hips at a natural angle, preventing stiffness in the hips and back.
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For someone living with arthritis, even simple, everyday activities and tasks can be difficult, frustrating, and painful. To make matters more complicated, no two cases of arthritis look the same. In fact, Michael T. Barger, MD, a rheumatologist with Dignity Health Medical Foundation, tells Verywell that there are actually more than 100 types of arthritis, and one in four adults will face an arthritis diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. Naturally, buying a gift for someone with arthritisespecially when you want it to be helpful and usefulcan be a difficult task.
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Activities For Seniors With Arthritis
There are several diseases that impact Americans over 65 years of age more than other age groups. Hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis are all conditions that are more common in older adults. Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are both frequently diagnosed in seniors and can cause chronic pain. If you feel you may be suffering from undiagnosed arthritis here are a few common symptoms to watch for:
- Warmth and redness in a joint
- Joint stiffness
- Problems moving or using a joint normally
- Pain or tenderness when touching the joint
Once arthritis is diagnosed, it is important for you to understand what may make symptoms worse and how to mitigate the symptoms so you can continue to live a life you enjoy.
Sewing Knitting And Crocheting Crafts
Needlecrafts like knitting and crocheting are some of the most popular activities among older adults. That’s partly because they require minimal equipment and can often be done from the comfort of an armchair. You can enjoy these types of activities well into your golden years. In fact, British charity Knit for Peace surveyed more than 1,000 knitters and found that more than two-thirds of them were over the age of 60, and many were in their 80s and 90s.
Here are a few ideas for fun needlecraft projects:
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Therapeutic Activities For Seniors With Arthritis
According to the Arthritis Foundation, about 54 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with arthritis, an umbrella term referring to joint pain and joint disease. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, a condition which commonly affects older adults and is caused by the cartilage between joints wearing down over time. When osteoarthritis becomes severe, it can impact mobility and make it painful to do things a person used to enjoy.
However, there are senior-friendly activities that actually help ease the joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis. For seniors with arthritis, certain hobbies and exercises can be therapeutic, both physically and emotionally. Here are a few activities that are beneficial for older adults with arthritis.
Arts and crafts
Arthritis often causes pain in the hands, fingers, wrists, and elbows, limiting a persons fine motor skills and making it more challenging to grasp items. One way seniors with arthritis can improve dexterity is by taking up arts and crafts. Activities such as painting, coloring, photography, knitting, ceramics, sculpting, and scrapbooking can be modified for people with arthritis. For example, specialized, ergonomic tools such as comfort-grip paint brushes, knitting needles, or pencils make arts and crafts easier and more comfortable. Engaging in creative activities is also known to help reduce boredom and boost cognitive function among older adults.
Gardening
Cooking
Aqua exercises
The Benefits Of Arts And Crafts For Older Adults With Arthritis
Broadly considered, there are a few main benefits of engaging in arts and crafts for older adults with arthritis. For many arthritic adults, there is the tendency to reduce activity, which is understandable. But the Mayo Clinic says that working out and exercise are crucial for people with arthritis.
Now, obviously, arts and crafts arent exactly a full-body workout. But they move joints in the hands and fingers, and often elbows. Depending on the type, there can be a lot of movement. Painting, for example, involves a lot of arm motion and a concentration of body and mind. But no matter what the activity, arts and crafts are a good way to keep blood flowing and the body moving, even on days when you dont feel up to exercising.
There is also the mental aspect. Arthritis can be an inhibitor to social interaction. Weve seen many people start to shy away from the world when they feel they are physically diminished. By starting with something doable, especially something that stimulates the mind like arts and crafts, an older adult feels more comfortable exploring and finding new ways to meet people, and to do activities.
Obviously, hobbies arent a cure for arthritis. Continue to follow your doctors advice. But older adults should be encouraged to find a real craft that works for them, that keeps them engaged, and that moves them .
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Items To Relieve Physical And Mental Stress
When shopping for gifts for someone with arthritis, the goal should be finding something to help alleviate their physical and/or mental stress. Anyone with arthritis could benefit from simple home remedies, such as compression gloves, Lomibao says. This can help individuals who wake up with stiffness in the morning or at the end of the day.
Being unable to do some of your favorite activities can cause mental stress, so finding the right products for people with arthritis may help improve their stress level. For example, if someone enjoys cooking, Lomibao suggests getting them arthritis-friendly kitchen tools, where the handle can be more ergonomically shaped to the grip because it can make it easier for them to use and less painful on their joints.
If you have arthritis yourself and are unsure of what, exactly, could make your life easier, Kaplan recommends seeing an occupational therapist, who can help tailor the equipment and/or therapy to the specific needs of the client.
Art Therapy For Seniors With Dementia
Art therapy is an increasingly popular form of treatment for seniors with dementia. Art therapy can help to improve communication and cognitive skills, as well as provide a creative outlet for emotions and feelings.
Art therapy can also be a way to reconnect with lost hobbies or interests, and can be tailored to the individuals abilities and interests. There are a number of benefits of art therapy for seniors with dementia, and it can be an enjoyable and therapeutic activity for both the individual and their caregivers. Here are some art therapy activities for older adults with dementia:
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Snowy Owl Contact Paper Craft
Contact paper crafts are a great way to get your seniors involved in arts and crafts. Seniors love making things and they love being creative.
Making contact paper crafts is a fun way for them to express their creativity while helping them keep busy and active.
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What Are The Things To Remember When Recommending Crafts To Seniors With Dementia
The most important thing to remember when recommending an activity to seniors with dementia is safety. Seniors from this condition, especially at late stages of dementia, start to show cognitive decline. Sharp objects, such as sharp scissors, should be avoided. Materials that may be hazardous to the individual should also not be used.
Growing old doesnt mean that you have to sacrifice the quality of life.
For seniors with dementia, cognitive decline may prevent them from leading comfortable lives as they continue to age.
Introducing a fun activity, such as making craft projects, slows down cognitive decline so that cognitive functioning continues for as long as possible.
Creative projects also help in maintaining their self-esteem and self-worth.
Crafts for dementia patients, however, do not target just the cognitive ability of people with dementia. It is meant to improve even their physical health.
It also is a means for them to continue having a social connection so that they continue living happy lives. After all, age is just a number and it should always remain as that a number.
References
What are some of your favorite crafts for seniors with dementia? Share below!
About Haley Burress
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Rewarding Arts And Crafts For Seniors With Arthritis That Offer Explorations Into Creativity
There is a central paradox of time that has been explored in a million different songs and poems. Its that hours can seem so long, but the years go by so quickly. On a practical level, it can be expressed as a question: How do we fill these hours while also being fulfilled? That is, how do we make this short and precious time worthwhile by filling it with expressions of love, joy, and self?
For older adults, this paradox can become even more acute. When you retire, youre probably looking at fewer years, but you have more hours to fill. For too long, the answer to the question of how to spend those hours has been: nothing. As a society, weve failed to encourage older adults to explore new hobbies and passions. But thats wrongand unfairand leads to a stifling of the many good years people have left.
Even when hampered by physical ailments, such as arthritis, there is still an enormous amount of arts, crafts, and hobbies that can be enjoyed by older adults. These activities arent busy work either theyre an expression of creative impulse and new ideas and a worthy way to fill your time.
Arts and crafts for seniors with arthritis are about overcoming challenges. Theyre about finding new modes of creation. Theyre about making the hours count.
Simple Seasonal Crafts For Seniors With Limited Dexterity
Ive tried a lot of crafts with Uncle Jim with varied success. Some have ended up being much too difficult for him because of his limited dexterity, while others are far too simple. The crafts below, however, seem to be in the sweet spot and should be accessible for aging adults with varying levels of dexterity.
In the spirit of the holidays, here are some of my uncles favorite seasonal crafts that are perfect for you to do with your aging loved one this time of year.
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