If your aging loved one has recently moved to a senior living center or nursing home, you may be wondering how you can ensure that your loved one stays active and entertained. Fortunately, there are a number of hobbies that you can introduce to your aging family member or friend that will keep them happy.

Bird Watching

Bird watching is a fantastic hobby for individuals who're bed or wheelchair ridden, or for those who're battling dementia or aging-related memory issues.

This hobby can be started at absolutely no cost, but there's also plenty of books and bird watching guides on the market that would make wonderful gifts for your loved one as they become more interested in the activity. And, if you think bird watching is for loners, think again! Bird watching is a great way for your loved one to stay social, and perhaps they'll even start a bird watching club at their senior living center.

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a popular hobby that will give your loved one the chance to take advantage of their creative side.

All your loved one needs to get started is some photographs, a scrapbook, scissors, tape or glue, and decorative papers or pre-cut patterns. This hobby is a great way for your loved one to take a trip down memory lane, and this hobby can also be shared with children and grandchildren. Scrapbooking can be as simple or as elaborate as your loved one would like, and there's no limit to what your loved one can create with just a few simple tools.

Genealogy

Genealogy is one of those hobbies that many people would be interested in pursuing, but they either don't have the time or the know how. Genealogy is a great activity for seniors looking to connect to their roots, and the information they find can be passed down to future generations.

There are plenty of free genealogy resources, but you can also get a month-to-month membership for your loved one so they can have full access to public records from around the world! If your loved one is a bit wary of technology, genealogy research makes a great bonding activity and can be done from anywhere.

The above three mentioned hobbies are just a few ideas to keep your aging loved one happy and thriving in their new living environment. To learn more about possible hobbies for your loved one to explore, consult with the activities department of your loved one's senior living center or nursing home, such as at Orchard Park.