When you are healthy and able to move about freely, there are millions of things you take for granted. This isn’t to say you are ungrateful. It’s just that until you can’t do something, you don’t realize how easy it used to be or how much you will miss it. This may be the case for many of your senior loved ones. There was a time when they were young, active, and healthy too. But, if you have a loved one that is now dependent on someone else to get through their day, there are a lot of things to consider.
Options for Seniors and Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
The holiday season is often a time of hustle and bustle for many of us. Some of you reading this may be thinking, “It’s still hurricane season. It’s 95 degrees outside. I am not thinking of holidays yet.” We understand. So, let’s start off slowly! Halloween is the first upcoming “holiday.” It may not be as widely celebrated as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah, but it will bring little kids dressed in costumes to your door, nonetheless.
Keep Your Lights Off
There are a couple of ways that your housebound loved one can handle this situation. If they do not enjoy the influx of people at their door, usually leaving the porch light off is a signal to families that the house is not participating in Halloween. However, if there are lights on inside, some people may still come to the door. So, what can they do about that?
Leave a Bowl of Candy on the Porch
They can leave a polite note on the door saying something like, “I’m sorry we have no candy. Have a safe night!” or something to that effect. Another option is to leave a big bowl of candy on the porch with the porch light on. This candy would be taken “on the honor system.” Hopefully, parents are monitoring their children, but there is always the possibility that one greedy child will dump the whole bowl in their bag! Your loved one can put a little note by it saying, “Please be thoughtful and take 2 pieces only. When it’s gone, we have no more.”
Sit Out Front with Goodies
Another option is for them to sit out on their front porch or driveway for the evening to pass out candy. They won’t be having to go back and forth to the door over and over again. Many neighborhoods conduct Halloween this way now. The children aren’t going up to the doors of strangers (which we tell them all year long NOT to do!) and you get to know your neighbors!
Have a Senior Home Helper Assist You
If this is difficult for your loved one, then perhaps they can have their home health care worker there with them for the evening. This is also an excellent idea if they don’t mind the children coming to the door, but they can’t sit outside comfortably. Their caregiver can answer the door for them and pass out the candy.
This may be the type of situation that you have not come across yet with your elderly loved one’s declining health, but these are exactly the types of situations they encounter in which they need a loving, caring home health caregiver there on hand to help them. If this is the situation you and your loved one find yourselves in, then please consider calling us at Champion Home Health Care of South Florida. We have caregivers for areas such as North Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale. Our caregivers are highly trained in everything from simple companionship to Alzheimer’s care, and we are positive that we will be able to match one to your senior loved one, so please give us a call today…before the holidays approach!
