For many seniors, Valentine’s Day brings bittersweet memories of lost loved ones. Any holiday can be difficult after your spouse has passed on, but it’s important to give yourself permission to have fun and enjoy the holiday. You deserve to enjoy life with your newfound friends in your senior care home. Create new traditions and modify old ones for a fun-filled Valentine’s Day!
Treat yourself to something special!
As we grow older, one of the lessons we often learn is that self-love equals self-care. You may fondly remember exchanging Valentine’s Day gifts with your loved one each year. You can modify this tradition by treating yourself to something special. A massage or a new haircut (or a new hair color!) can lift the spirits and brighten the holiday.
Invite your grandkids to visit.
There’s nothing quite like the exuberance of young children to make a holiday exciting and fun! Give your adult children a call, and invite them and their youngsters to celebrate Valentine’s Day at your senior home. Be sure to let them know about all the fun activities planned for this special day!
Bake a sweet treat for everyone to share.
It’s traditional to enjoy heart-shaped boxes of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, but baking a sweet treat is more meaningful and definitely more fun! Use heart-shaped cookie cutters and pink frosting to give your cookies a festive look. Invite your friends at the senior home to help you bake—and eat!—your sweet creations.
Gather your friends together to watch a movie.
It’s much more fun to watch movies together with your friends at the senior care home. Select a romantic comedy to watch, such as His Girl Friday or Singin’ in the Rain. Or, skip the romantic comedies and just watch a comedy. Remember the original The Pink Panther starring Peter Sellers and Capucine? You and your friends will be in stitches!
Celebrate with arts and crafts.
Arts and crafts aren’t just for kids! The young at heart can also enjoy exercising their creativity and artistic talent. Consider doing homemade Valentine’s Day cards for deployed servicemembers. Organizations like Hugs for Soldiers pass along cards with encouraging notes to deployed military personnel.
Get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature.
The beauty of the outdoors is one of the many reasons why so many seniors choose to live in Arizona. And in February, the temperature is mild enough to enjoy it! Spend some time gardening in the senior home’s raised beds or simply sit for a while and watch the flock at the bird feeders.
Here at Arizona Homestead, we’re all about having fun on holidays! Our close-knit family of seniors and caregivers invites you to join our Sweetheart Sing-a-Long on Friday, February 14 from 3:30-4:30! We’re already hard at work creating decorations and cards, some of which you can see in the video below.
To inquire about joining our family of thriving seniors, give us a call at (520) 245-7881.