You can make a big difference in the life of a senior in more ways than one. In fact, we’ve identified 16 great things you can do, and these are just a drop in the bucket. With so many possibilities, how do you know where to begin or what will make the biggest difference? The best way to get started is to hone your powers of observation and improve your listening skills. Be proactive. Make an effort to pay the same kind of attention to your clients that you muster up for your friends and family.
Think of every meeting as an opportunity to detect a problem or identify a need. If you stop, look and listen, you’ll find plenty of clues.
Do they look well? Do they appear healthy and energetic? Are they clean and well-dressed? Is their home tidy and well-maintained? What about their social life? Are there family issues? Do their pets look neglected? Are their papers filed and well organized?
How computer-savvy are they? What topics of conversation crop up over and over again?
With just a little time and effort, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to figure out where you can make a difference. Be a friend, an ally and an advocate and start making a difference!
Number One: Teach Them How to use a Digital Camera or Cell Phone to Send and Receive Photos.There’s nothing more exciting than getting photos of your first grandchild. Twenty years ago, photos came by mail. Today, they arrive instantly – if you have a digital camera, computer or cell phone and know how to send and retrieve them.
Think what a difference it would make if your client could carry on conversations and exchange photos and computer-generated greeting cards with their children, friends and family across the country and around the world.
The first step is to find out if they are interested. Demonstrate how the technology works and see how they respond. If they want to know more, offer to schedule lessons or direct them to specific classes.
If you sense they are simply not into or up to digital photography, there are still waysyou can enable them to share their photos and memories of happy times.
There are probably packets of photos stacked in shoe boxes, sliding out of albums or shut away in desk drawers. Maybe they would appreciate a little assistance organizing them or putting them in albums.
Introduce them to Scrapbooking, a popular new method of personalizing photos and memorabilia. Virtually every community has a Scrapbooking course or craft center where you can purchase materials and take courses.
Sharing your loved one’s photos will tell you more about them than hours of conversation. And the best part? Watching their faces when they send or receive their first digital photo.
