Giving Your Loved One a Sense of Purpose

We all want to feel like we are contributing to society and leaving our mark on the world. We thrive off of feeling needed and useful, and this impulse doesn’t necessarily end as we age.

At Azura Memory Care and Assisted Living, we get that. Through our MOSAIC approach to care, Chore Therapy is an essential part of our resident’s well-being. This can range from helping harvest vegetables in the garden, to folding towels or pairing socks. These tasks, although small, make a huge difference to our residents and staying busy often helps with expressions as well. 

This holiday season, think of ways that your loved one can give back. Check with your local senior center or place of worship to find a program or cause that might interest your parent and where they can contribute with their unique skills.

Ideas on how your parent can volunteer:

• Use their personal and professional experience to mentor youth.
• If your loved one is an animal lover, volunteer at a local animal shelter or foster a pet.
• If you parent is a veteran or veteran’s spouse, they might want to volunteer for the USO. USO volunteers can assist with a variety of tasks based on their physical ability, from greeting troops as they return from overseas tours to making coffee and warm meals to providing blankets to troops at the airport during long layovers.
• Are they crafty? Crochet lap blankets for hospitals, nursing home patients, or the Red Cross.
• OR knit slippers with non-skid pads for Meals on Wheels or elderly patients.
• Create backyard habitats for local wildlife or build birdhouses during the winter months.
• Bake and deliver cookies or holiday treats to local first responders or homebound neighbors.
• Read books or letters to a person who is visually impaired.
• If your loved one has a green thumb, plant flowers in bare public areas or volunteer to docent at a local botanical garden.

This sense of purpose is important for seniors now, as much as when they were younger. No matter how small, volunteering can spread cheer to those you help and in return, benefit your loved one.