3 Ways to Get Your Loved One Excited About the Olympic Games
3 Ways to Get Your Loved One Excited About the Olympic Games
Getting Excited about the Olympic Games
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games officially began on Friday, August 5th. I expected the opening ceremonies would be a grandiose spectacle, as they usually are. There were fireworks, dancers, singers, bike riders carrying signs for each country, children carrying plants, pageantry and the parade of athletes. Then the work began. Swimming, diving, gymnastics, running, jumping, shooting (guns and hoops), tossing (volleyballs, basketballs, etc), biking, fencing and so much more!
If you’re like me, you generally have a couple favorite sports you like to watch. The swimmers including Katie and Michael. The USA women gymnasts trouncing the competition. Some viewers can’t get enough of the Olympics; they position themselves to watch as much of the 19 day spectacle as they can. With 36 athletes from Illinois competing in the Summer Olympics, there is reason to be excited for athletes with local ties. Keep an eye out for Morolake Akinosun of Itasca, in a track and field relay event. Both Pam and Theresa worked with her mother, Foluke, at Manor Care! Go Morolake! Woo-Hoo. U – S – A !!
How will you watch some of the 6,755 hours of programming for the Olympic Games? The NBC platforms will cover the Olympic Games live during the day, as well as during primetime and late night. With so much coverage, here are 3 ways to get your loved one excited about these events:
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Member Ray works on his short game
Watch their favorite sporting event with them. When they were younger, did they swim, run, or play tennis or golf? Whatever summer sport they like, you may find it at the Olympic Games. Watch it live with them or record it and watch it later.
- Learn about local athletes online. There are 36 athletes from Illinois competing in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. You can easily search to find the names and sports those athletes are competing in or click here. If you are not in the Chicago area, you can do the same in order to see who is competing from your neck of the woods. Let your loved one know the background of some of these athletes; many local news outlets have interviewed them, so there is likely a story somewhere. That will make the events even more personal as you watch these athletes compete.
- Host an Olympic Games viewing party or take your loved one to a viewing event. Whether you do something in house or out, let your loved one be part of the celebration we will all feel over the next few weeks. Many local sports bars and other venues will be showing coverage of the Olympic Games. When the USA athletes win, the crowd around you will cheer and your loved one will really be involved!
This is a Gold Medal Hug!
While we rarely watch TV at Naperville Senior Center, we may have the Olympic Games available, especially late afternoon. If you are in the neighborhood after 3pm, join us as we cheer on Team USA! Our Members are all Olympians! They go for the gold every day by socializing, verbalizing, improvising, evangelizing, visualizing, exercising, having fun, and a host of other activities to provide mental and physical stimulation.
Call to action: 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.”
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The theme of 2019 National Nurses Week is “Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit.” We celebrate all nurses, especially our nurses, Julie and Donna. They are the heart of our personalized care programs! We thank them and all nurses who lead the charge for health and wellness.
Improved Mood: When you played make-believe as a child, weren’t you happy and carefree? As an adult, you will have those same feelings. It’s fun to not have structure sometimes and just be free to act how you want (well, within reason…). A little make-believe and your older loved one will feel better and maybe, for a little while, forget about other things that might be aching.
Help your mom with projects around her house. Does your mom need a room painted, a carpet cleaned or a banister tightened? If you are capable, help her fix things that are broken or just in need of repair. If her house is in better condition, she will feel better. And you will have some time together with her in the process.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
A Sense of Purpose. One of the things that older people miss the most once they retire or become ill is a sense of purpose. They need a reason to get up in the morning! Spending day after day at home alone waiting for family or friends to come by can be isolating. Your loved one could be at risk of developing depression. Enrolling them in senior day care can restore a sense of purpose to their lives and give them a reason to be excited about getting up every day.
Nutrition. Adult Day Care also benefits an individual’s nutrition. Many seniors end up not cooking nutritious meals for themselves because they don’t want to eat alone. Sometimes they just don’t want to make a full meal for themselves. In addition, they may not feel confident using the stove or cooking with heavy pots and pans. When your loved ones attend adult day care, they are getting at least one nutritious meal each day and eating in the company of others.
Mental Stimulation. Seniors need mental stimulation and often they don’t get enough. Activities, crafts, trips, and just being around other people can help your loved ones exercise their mental muscles. This helps them stay sharp and alert for longer periods of time. Studies have shown that seniors who don’t receive enough social interaction lose their mental faculties at a much faster rate than seniors who have strong social ties and get out of the house for activities and social occasions on a regular basis.
Go to Midnight Mass. There’s something about the midnight Mass that is special. It’s dark and the lights in the church are shimmering. Many times there will be a special choir singing classic Christmas songs where everyone can join in and some special ones like the Hallelujah Chorus. When done well, you can get chills down your spine! Did you know that the tradition of the Midnight Mass began as far back as the early 400’s? Centuries ago, Midnight Mass might last for hours, to the point where church goers would have an early morning feast following the Mass! At our church, the Midnight Mass is at 10:00 pm.
Continue (or start) a family tradition. Every Christmas, the Coopers, and any overnight guests, settle into the family room, crank up the blaze in the fireplace and watch the Christmas movie, “Die Hard.” Hans and his merry band of misfits once again will be thwarted by Officer John McClain. Throughout the movie, someone will say the next line before the actor and all will crack up. “Shoot the glass.” “This is Agent Johnson. No, the other one.” “Glass? You got beat-up on National TV and you’re worried about glass?” “We’re going to need some more FBI guys.”