PUT A SMILE ON A SENIOR

You may sometimes joke about "dying" of boredom. But a senior citizen can actually die of boredom.

It really happens. Some seniors, if their lonely life becomes too depressing, just give up on living and taking proper care of themselves.

The problem of lonely senior citizens is very real. Sometimes a senior citizen has outlived all their friends and family, so they have nobody left to care about them. Without visits or phone calls, every day is monotonous. Some seniors decide that there's nothing much to live for, so they become shut-ins who never go out. Many stop eating (because if nobody cares that they don't eat, why should they), and slowly let themselves waste away.

Other seniors have family members, but they are either uncaring, or too busy with their own families and children to check up on the older generation as often as they could.

Make an effort to brighten a senior citizen's day, and you could actually be saving their life!

Your efforts to reach out and do something nice for a senior citizen, can give them hope and inspiration to go on living. Seniors tend to value affection from young people very strongly. Your kindness and any time that you spend with a senior, will make a huge difference to their life. You will find that any energy you put into helping an old person, will be richly rewarded when you see the appreciation and happiness you create!

Ready to put a smile on a senior? Here are some ideas for how you can help senior citizens in your neighborhood.

Help With Pet Care

Many senior citizens have physical ailments that make it diffcult for them to care for their beloved pets. Pets can become neglected, not because seniors don't care, but because it's too hard for them to do what's needed. Using a can opener or opening sealed bags of pet food may be too difficult for arthritic hands, and bending down to place pet food in bowls is tough on bad backs. If you know a senior citizen on your block who has a pet, offer to help them to take of it. Prepare meals for the animal, brush a cat's fur to remove snarls, or offer to bathe a dog. Even helping a senior to lift up their pet for a nice lap-snuggle would be a real kindness.

Help With Home Care

Taking care of a home is a lot of work. When seniors find it too hard to keep up with housework, such as doing dishes after a meal, or washing sheets, clothing and towels when they get dirty, families often ship their older members off to a senior's home. But many senior citizens badly want to stay in their own homes, where they may have lived happily with a spouse, and raised children. After all, that's where their happy memories are. You can help a senior to stay in their home, where they are most happy, by helping them to take care of their household chores. Volunteer to do general housework for a senior citizen. There are so many things you could do to help, such as washing dishes, doing the laundry, or taking out the garbage once a week. If you've got a green thumb, you might even offer to help out with lawn and garden care.

Read Aloud

Imagine that you love to read, and then your eyes conk out on you. Seniors who love books feel frustrated when they can no longer read to themselves. Sure, they could get books on CD, but a personal reader is so much friendlier. And not everything comes on CD, that a senior might want to read. Or think about reading the daily newspaper, something that so many people take for granted. Many seniors, even those with fairly good eyesight, find that their eyes have trouble focusing on a newspaper's small print. Even reading the mail - from bills to birthday cards - can be a challenge. Consider offering your time as a reader for a senior citizen whose eyesight is failing. They pick the reading material, and you read out loud. It's so easy for you, and it's such a wonderful service for a senior.

Take a Walk

Lonely seniors often become home-bound. With no (healthy) friends or family to encourage outings, many old people just fall out of the habit of going outside. Others are capable of taking a walk, but need a little help (like a steadying arm) to keep their balance. And some seniors with memory trouble don't leave their homes, for fear they might forget how to get back. It's so sad when this happens, because even a short walk a few times a week, can give an old person enough exercise to help them stay healthy, and provide them stimulation that prevents against depression. So if you've got a bit of time on your hands, offer to take a walk with a neighborhood senior! You'll get something out of it too, when they use the time to tell you fascinating stories about the adventures and dramas they've had in their lives.

Just Hang Out

Seniors need friends too! And a young friend can be especially invigorating to an older person, who might like to feel more in touch with the "youth of today". Become a buddy to an older person, and just hang out with them at their home. Listen to their stories, talk about your life, play cards or board games, and generally keep them company.

Volunteer at a Seniors Center

If you feel strange about approaching individual seniors, offer your help to a senior citizens center. Many such centers offer volunteer programs to provide friendship and community activities to older people in the community. If you would like working with senior citizens, call a senior citizen center in your neighborhood and see what kinds of volunteer programs they have available. Check your phone book or Yellow Pages under "Senior Citizens Services & Centers".