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Home » Keeping Your Parent Active Doesn’t Have to End When Vision Worsens
Common age-related eye conditions and diseases include cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. When your parent is diagnosed with worsening vision, the ability to safely drive may come into question. Seniors who lose the ability to drive worry that they’ll have to give up social activities and entertainment. That’s not the case.
Here are some ways to keep your parent active when it’s no longer safe to drive.
Plan Weekly Outings
Set one day a week aside where you or a sibling will take your mom or dad out. You can go out to dinner, visit a museum, or go to the beach. Let your parent spend time with family.
Make sure the weekly outings appeal to your parent’s likes and dislikes. If your dad loves bird-watching, go to a nature park with a picnic. If your mom loves shopping, spend the day at an open-air market.
Visit a Senior Center
Have your mom or dad join the local senior center. They hold senior luncheons, exercise programs, and educational lectures. Some offer discounted day trips and overnight trips. Your mom might want to join other seniors and take a trip to Montreal. Your dad may want to spend a day seeing how chocolate is made.
Most trips require a fee to cover the cost of meals, transportation, and accommodations. Rates are lower because the senior centers negotiate senior and group rates.
Explore a New Hobby
Retirement is a great time to try out new hobbies. See what interests your mom and dad. Some good hobbies for seniors include quilting, woodworking, and stained glass making. Your mom may want to learn how to make wine or beer. Your dad may want to develop a thriving worm farm and raised gardens.
Join a Group or Club
Your mom loves to read. She might enjoy a book reading group at her local library. Your dad is a bowling enthusiast. See if there are any bowling leagues in the area. Knitting groups, fishing clubs, and gardening clubs are other groups and clubs found in many communities.
Arrange Transportation Services With an Elderly Care Agency
If your parent no longer drives, it can lead to feelings of isolation. Prevent this by arranging for caregiver services. Caregivers can drive your mom or dad to area businesses and senior centers. Your parent still goes out and has an active social life without risking safety trying to drive. Call our caregiver agency to find out more about transportation and companionship services.