What Does ‘Mother’ Mean to You?
What Does ‘Mother’ Mean to You?
By Mike Cooper
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, have you thought about what ‘mother’ really means to you?
Sure, a mother is “a woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth.” But being a mother goes beyond biology. She is someone who loves, nourishes, protects, teaches, comforts, guides, nurtures, supports, reassures…and so much more.
Pam is all of those things to our children. There couldn’t be a better role model in their lives (and mine!) to show us how to care and cope, love and learn, grow and guide. But I am sure we all know another woman in our lives who meets those criteria – a friend, a teacher, a mentor; all of these women could be a mother figure to someone.
So when you wish your mother (or wife) a happy Mother’s Day this year, remember to also wish it to those other females in your life who have done so much for you and for others. There is certainly enough love to go around!
If you know of someone that cannot safely stay at home alone and would like being around other adults, participate in fun activities and exercises, and enjoy a hot noon time meal, let them know about our adult day services facility.
Happy Mother’s Day!
We would like to have your loved one see our facility and have lunch with us! Contact us to get schedule a FREE 3-hour trial so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience, Home Away From Home.
Free TRIAL is for new Members and their caregiver.
The trial visit is Monday-Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Tour our adult day services facility.
Observe some fun activities. Join us for lunch. Learn more at our Senior Adult Day Care center FREE TRIAL
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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.
Plant a garden. Think herb garden, or even a couple tomato plants. An herb garden would be perfect for indoors and could easily be transplanted outside next month. If you are handy, you could build a small, raised planter box where your loved one could comfortably sit or stand to help plant the garden. Not only are the herbs and vegetables good for them, they will appreciate being involved. It doesn’t get any more ‘local’ than that!
Plant a tree. This might not be something your senior loved ones can do themselves, but they can still be involved. Find out what their favorite tree is (hopefully something that grows well in your zone). If they still live in their own home, find a spot to plant a tree, even a little one, where they can see it. Maybe they could help water it from time to time. They can take pride in seeing something grow and live on for a long time and know that they were involved with it. If they live in a community where you cannot do this, maybe you can plant their tree by your house. When they come over to see you, point out the tree they that picked out – their ‘favorite’ tree.
We have a raised garden at Naperville Senior Center where our Members help to plant, water, pick and eat the wonderful vegetables we grow. We began planting April 1st, and on April 18th we had some impressive growth. We will transplant to the other side of the window in a couple weeks.