Setting New Year Goals for the Year with Your Senior Loved One
As the new year begins, it is a great time to set aside some time to set goals for the
coming months with your senior loved one. Have a heart-to-heart with them, and find
out what they would like the year ahead to look like. Is there someplace they want to
travel that they’ve never been? Do they want to see a sibling they haven’t seen in years?
Or do they feel this is the year to teach the grandkids to fish or catch a steelhead on the
Menomonee River? Maybe they feel like their home is too cluttered, and they want to get
it organized. Whether their goals are big or small, help your loved one make a list for the
coming year and help them figure out ways to accomplish it.
Why Goal Setting is Important
Having something on paper - or their phone - that gives seniors something to strive
toward can help give them a purpose in life. It can also give them a sense of satisfaction
and peace. Having something you must do hanging over your head - such as sorting
through your old papers before it’s too late - can be frustrating and unsettling. Crossing
that thing off your list can give a sense of release and relief. Completing goals also gives
seniors something to do, and it gives them a feeling of accomplishment once they do it.
Goal setting is also important because it gives families a sense of what is important to
their senior loved one, especially if they don’t often talk about it. Maybe Dad is putting
“watch a Brewers game in person” on his list, and you thought he wouldn’t want to go
through the hassle of heading to the ballpark. That gives you an idea of what is most
important to him. Maybe Mom doesn’t have boating on the lake anywhere on her list.
That can allow you to ask her if maybe that isn’t something she really enjoys. Setting
goals for you and your senior loved one to strive towards can help guide the year in a
better direction. If you are struggling to come up with some goals, here are some to get
started.
Explore the World
Get out and about as much as you can with your senior loved one. Depending on their
mobility level, venturing out to new places is a great goal. While you don’t need to travel
far, experiencing new things together is a great way to spend time in the new year.
Maybe they want to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible. If they are
able and have the means, try to make that happen. But exploration can happen even
close to home. There are always new stores, shows, concerts, festivals and trends
popping up. Check some of them out. Tried and true favorites you’ve never experienced
or want to relive again are great, too. Have you ever hiked the Quarry Lake Trail at
Huntington Beach State Park? Have you seen the sunset at Pewaukee Lake Beach Pier?
It is one of the few lakes in southeast Wisconsin that faces west during the sunset and
provides a beautiful view. Add it to your list. But try to hit the sunset before March or
after September. During those times, the sun lines up perfectly across the lake.
Be Social
While it is easy to hibernate and isolate as we age, help your senior loved one be more
social this year. It can be hard during the cold and icy Wisconsin winters, but seniors
can also be social in their own homes. Add one day a week to the time you spend with
your loved one. Make that day a time to try coffee from a new spot each time. Head out
to the Waterlin and try their new brunch offerings. Invite one of their friends along.
Maybe make a list of a new friend to brunch with each month. Since it is not often
possible to always be with your senior loved one, help them get involved in senior
groups or activities at the senior centers. Make it a goal for them to attend at least four
senior center events a month to socialize with others and not be lonely at home.
Safen Up Their Home
The new year is a great way to ensure your senior loved one’s home is safe and
comfortable for them. It might not be as exciting as some of the other goals on the list,
but ensuring your loved one has an environment they are comfortable in is necessary.
That includes ensuring the home is fall-proof and free of safety hazards. Ensure they do
not have any loose rugs in the way that might cause a tripping hazard. Have charging
cords in each room so their phone is fully charged, and they can call for help if needed.
Work together to find out what they use often, then set everything they need within
reach. Make it so they don’t have to stand on a stool to reach their favorite noodles from
the cupboard or mug from the cabinet. If there is a big list of things that need to get
done in the home, do the most pressing first. Then, make it a goal to complete one of the
other ones each month during the year. Maybe in March, you can go around to tighten
up all of the banisters, railings and grab bars. In June, you can ensure no bricks are
wobbly on their back patio and nothing came loose during the winter ice and snow.
Here to Help
If you’re looking for help with your senior loved one in the new year, our caregivers at
Right At Home Menomonee Falls can help. Our compassionate caregivers are
professionally trained to help with everything from ensuring your loved one is steady on
their feet to providing companionship so they don’t get lonely. We can help with
everything from getting your senior loved one ready in the morning, fed at dinner time
and cleaned up before bed.
We serve seniors in the Menomonee Falls and Germantown areas and beyond. For
information on how we can help, call us today at 262 255-2222. We can help tailor our
care plans to meet your specific needs. Whether you need care every day of the week or
just a mid-week break, we are here to help local families.
If you have a heart for helping seniors enjoy their life at home, consider joining our
team. Right at Home Menomonee Falls is looking for the Right People to join our team.
We have immediate openings for many caregiving positions that help make a difference
in the lives of local seniors.
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