No one likes to be bored at any age. Boredom is a common feeling and occasional boredom is normal. However, elderly boredom can be a different story. Your parents have led active and productive lives but as they age, they may suddenly find themselves injured or ill to the point where they cannot get around as well as they used to. Those people who have more episodes of boredom and feelings of frustration and uselessness can lead to depression.

Supreme Touch Home Health Services Corp., a trusted quality provider of home health care in Columbus Ohio, insists that preventing such severe feelings is a major health concern to the elderly. It is also high on the list of importance for medical care and attention.

Older people tend to experience boredom differently. Some cases of boredom may occur because of:

• Lack of choice or control over their daily activities
• Inadequate rest or nutrition
• Poor perception of time
• Lack of diversified recreational interests
• Low levels of mental stimulation

Or in other cases, they can also become bored while engaged in an activity due to:

• Confusing instructions
• Repetition of the activity for longer periods of time
• Loss of interest
• Fear of making mistakes
• Feeling unable to try new approaches to the activity

It is vital to attend to these feeling since boredom can lead to multiple emotional issues such as:

• Feelings of intense restlessness
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Feeling unloved or uncared for
• Evading opportunities for stimulation
• Blaming yourself for your boredom
• Feeling that life is no longer worth living

To help you distinguish between boredom and depression, consult your doctor to get you the necessary treatment. However, there is no specific medical treatment for boredom. But you can try these ways to consider trying to make their lives more exciting:

• Trying new hobbies or other new diversional activities
• Joining a club—reading club, hobby groups, or exercise groups
• Participating in community group activities and outings

For family caregivers, you should take time in creatively identifying the causes of their boredom and find creative solutions:

• Ask open-ended questions to stimulate their creativity in finding interesting solutions for alleviating boredom
• Recognize that their boredom maybe their way of trying to engage your attention and asking you to participate in the activity
• Help them identify any other emotional issues or feelings without gestures and verbal cues of judgment
• To prevent boredom, you can:
• Make routine tasks more interesting by adding a twist or a unique element
• Combine multiple repetitive tasks as long as they are easy and not overwhelming. You can also break larger tasks into smaller ones
• Keep a record of the circumstances that they become bored. You can note the time of day, place, and activities preceding the boredom in order to avoid those circumstances and to be able to prepare for potential boredom in the future.

Boredom is common in all ages, and for most people in the older populations, boredom is unavoidable. Learning how to deal with boredom can maintain problem-solving skills sharp. For more help on how your elderly loved ones can avoid boredom, call Supreme Touch Home Health Services Corp., a reliable quality provider of home health care in Columbus Ohio, today!