The spooky holiday is quickly approaching. It’s time to bring out the decorations, the costumes, the art, and the candy. Don’t leave your elderly loved ones out of the celebration. You can participate in the following activities with your aging loved one to get into the Halloween spirit:

1. Organize a spooky Halloween movie-thon

The ultimate family pastime is snuggling up with your loved ones for a movie night! This year can be a great time to revisit some of your elderly loved ones’ favourite books from their youth and present the classics to a new generation. Instead of watching terrifying, spooky films and TV shows, you might enjoy some Halloween comedies and dramas.

2. Prepare your preferred Halloween treats

Elderly people are aware that they shouldn’t eat too much candy, but you can swiftly make a range of other Halloween favourites. Make caramel-coated candied apples. Cook apple fritters, scones, or sugar cookies and top them with your favourite Halloween decorations. Make some Rice Krispies snacks and dress them up to look like Frankenstein monsters, ghosts, or mummies.  Pop some popcorn on the stove or bake some homemade Chex Mix. Even simple activities like baking and cooking can be enjoyable for your elderly loved one.

3. Decorate inside and outside the home

The weeks leading up to Halloween are the best times to go all out on your home decor. Help your loved one get ready for the holidays by providing them with decorations for the home. The outside can be decorated with strings of orange and yellow lights, and the interior with faux cobwebs.  A couple of pumpkins, whether artificial or real, look lovely on your loved one’s front porch.  Put stickers and decorations on the windows. Buy some Halloween-themed paper plates and napkins to go with them, then finish off the table with a hilariously terrifying centrepiece.

4. Wear your best Halloween attire

Your loved one doesn’t need a costume to celebrate the holiday with style. Has your loved one ever worn a favourite sweater with a Halloween design year after year?  If your grandfather enjoys wearing socks, get him ones with a Halloween motif. Perhaps the best gift for your grandma would be a wonderful orange shawl that she could wrap around herself on chilly autumn days.

5. Exercise your creativity

Cold fall days could be the perfect opportunity to stay home and be creative! Crafts like pinecone owls and Mason jar mummies can be made by groups of people of all ages for fun.

6. Select a pumpkin and customize it

October is the ideal month to bring home a pumpkin—or twelve. Whether you pick one up at the local supermarket or venture out to one of the many local farms or pumpkin patches, pumpkins and fall gourds make great hearty and healthful décor this time of year. Your loved one can use them for many different Halloween projects, like making snacks, decorations, and even jack-o’-lanterns.

7. Participate in Halloween games

A great way to spend a cozy fall evening at home is to get out your family’s favourite board games. Consider playing some fun Halloween-themed games.   Play a spooky round of charades or create your own trivia questions about Halloween-related subjects like candy, monsters, and pumpkins to trade with family.  Play shuffleboard or engage in some pumpkin “bowling.” Purchase a deck of Halloween-themed playing cards or make your own Halloween-themed bingo cards (which your elderly loved one will particularly enjoy).

8. Search for autumnal hues

It can be a great idea to take the whole family leaf-peeping in the days before Halloween. Just make sure to organize your road trip beforehand. Pack snacks, water, blankets, and any other supplies your elderly loved one might need for a safe and enjoyable day out.

9. Hold a contest for spooky tales

Host your own night of spooky storytelling. Give prizes to whoever comes up with the evening’s funniest, spookiest, or weirdest story. To keep the conversation light, you may remove the made-up stories and instead share experiences of your favourite Halloween celebrations in the past.

10. Prepare a Halloween care package and send it

Sending a Halloween care package is a terrific way to let someone know you’re thinking of them when you can’t be there in person. Searching for ideas?  Bundle candy containers with a thoughtful note to your elderly relatives.  Don’t forget to send a favourite book for a cozy autumn read.

Want to learn more?

Please reach out to us at wecare@considracare.com, or call us at 1-855-410-7971, and we will be happy to help you arrange care for a loved one.