Hello guys, my 60+ plus mother has come to stay with me. She was staying on her own for some 4 years now but last week there was a theft attempt in her home. Luckily for her, Mamma wasn’;t in the house otherwise god knows what would have happened. So I have bought her home as i don’t think she is safe is safe in that old house. I don’t want her to feel out of place here and so I thought of asking here about some suggestions on how she can spend her time.
A healthy woman in her mid sixties should be able to find her own entertainment. If this is a new city or neighborhood for her, you can help her learn her way around and show her what activities and entertainment are available. But please don't take responsibility for her entertainment. That would not be a healthy situation in the long run. Unless she has disabilities that require help, she needs her independence.
What did Mamma like to do when she lived alone? Book club, knitting circle, church activities, building boats in bottles, gourmet cooking ... whatever she liked before should be available to her now, and it will just be a matter of locating it or the supplies, etc. to do it.
And/or she may like to learn something new while she is meeting new people. Do you have community education classes for adults where she could learn to folk dance or cook Thai food or play mahjong? Maybe develop some computer skills, or take up photography? Is there an athletic club where she could join others in exercising, or swimming? Does your community have Senior Centers with activities for retired folks? Does she bowl or golf?
People often ask What can my mother who has dementia do? or "How can I help my father who is going blind still enjoy activities? But if your mamma is essentially healthy and only in her sixties, follow her lead about what she likes to do, and just help her to get started.