When was the last time you picked up a pen and put it to paper to write a letter? Or a thank you note? Or even to sign a birthday or get well card? For many people, it may have been a while.

I notice the number of Christmas cards we receive each year seems to dwindle as the years go on. Some people just want to put a general ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting on Facebook and let that be enough. They may think that with all the updates they provide to people throughout the year there isn’t the need to communicate further with an end-of-the-year newsletter or other greeting. “Who has time to buy cards and stamps, and address envelopes (or print labels)? It’s a hassle. Who cares, anyway?”

A lot of people care. With the flood of posts on various social media platforms, there is an over-abundance of information we see each day. That doesn’t mean we should abandon social media. It is certainly here for the long haul. In fact, you are probably reading this blog because of social media! But we shouldn’t forget about other forms of communication, both personally and professionally.

For instance, what about the people in your life who are not on social media? Your aunt or grandma or cousin may not be part of social media or even the internet at all. (The horror!) How do you keep in touch with those people? Maybe you don’t. You may see them once or twice a year at a family event. Or you leave it to someone else to inform them of what you have been doing.

With that said, not all seniors are strictly ‘offline.’ In fact, 80% of baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are internet users. If you were born in 1964 you would not want someone to call you a senior anyway! But what about those older adults who were born prior to 1946? There are less of them online, although some of them are. Those are the seniors that you may need to reach out to periodically in ways that we don’t think about anymore, like writing a letter.

With National Letter Writing Week coming to a close, why not pick up a pen and communicate with someone you know who you don’t keep in contact with online by writing them a letter. “Dear grandma, hope to hear you are doing well. Here are how things are going with me…” Your grandma might love getting a note like that in the mail!

Here are 3 ways you can communicate with your senior loved ones who are not online:

• Write to them. Buy some stationary and every once in a while send them a not just to say ‘hello’ and ‘hope you are doing well.’ They will be happy to know that someone is thinking about them. And otherwise they may just get bills or catalogs in the mail. There are plenty of programs available giving you the ability to print your own card. That is a great option as well.
• Call them. In addition to writing to your loved ones, pick up the phone and call them. Yes, put the phone to your ear (or put your ear bud in your ear) and actually call someone. Giving them a chance to talk to someone (especially if they are home alone) is a great way to help them break up their day. And then you can share in more detail the things that are going on in your life. You don’t have to make it a long conversation (“grandma, I have a few minutes and just wanted to call to say ‘hi’) but they will appreciate the effort.
• See them. If your loved one lives in the area, take the time to go see them once in a while. We all get caught up in our daily activities, thinking there is just no way we could add another activity to our busy schedules. But if you really think about it, you could squeeze in a couple hours in an evening or over the weekend to go see your loved one now and again. Again, it doesn’t have to be an all-day visit. Even a short visit to catch up would be welcomed!

Every day we strive to provide a safe, inviting environment for our Members so they can feel like this is indeed their home away from home. We want them to be as comfortable here as they are in their own home. We have taught many of our Members how to use a computer in our computer center. Some of them even communicate with their loved ones who live far away through the internet!

When our Members are not ‘surfing the web,’ they might be socializing, vocalizing, improvising, rhythmizing, harmonizing, exercising, have fun, and a host of other activities to provide mental and physical stimulation.

Call to action: to learn more about how NSC can provide a respite for you and a great social environment for your loved one, contact our Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Theresa, at 630.857.3017. You can also schedule a tour to see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, “Home Away From Home.”