As we get older, Mother’s Day can take on extra significance.
While it remains a chance to celebrate mothers and motherhood, it’s also a time to strengthen maternal bonds and reflect on one of our longest-lasting relationships — especially if your mother or grandmother is now living in a nursing home.
In this post, we share some of the ways you can surprise and delight your mother (or grandmother) with our recommended Mother’s Day gifts and activities for seniors.
How to make Mother’s Day special for nursing home residents
Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your Mother’s Day activities if your mum lives in a nursing home.
- Quality time always wins. It’s not about how much time you spend with your mum on Mother’s Day; it’s about how you spend it. Don’t try to squeeze in too many different activities in one day, particularly if they require a lot of walking or travelling. Instead, try to choose a meaningful activity in one location and make the most of your time together.
- Your presence is the best present. Flowers are nice, and the gifts we’ve shared below will be cherished. But take it from us, your mum will want to see her family on Mother’s Day. If you live far from the nursing home and can only visit now and then, make sure Mothering Sunday is marked in your calendar.
Mother’s Day gift ideas for seniors
If you’re looking for some Mother’s Day gift inspiration, look no further. Below are some of the most popular gifts our residents have received over the years.
1. Digital Photo Frame
A Wi-Fi-enabled photo frame is the ideal gift for your mum or grandmother living in a nursing home. It lets you upload pictures from your phone directly to the frame, no matter where you are in the world. Share special memories and mark important milestones with just a few taps of your phone.
2. Audible Subscription
If your mum loves getting lost in a good book, but finds it difficult to hold one open or see the words clearly, an Audible subscription could help them reconnect with the stories they love in the form of audiobooks.
3. Personalised Jigsaw Puzzles
Many older people dealing with dexterity or memory issues relish the challenge of a jigsaw puzzle. This Mother’s Day, why not make that puzzle extra special? Lots of companies offer bespoke puzzles based on a high-quality uploaded image. Turn your mum’s favourite family snap into a wholesome rainy day activity.
4. Adult Colouring Books
We love encouraging arts and crafts among our residents, and colouring is a very popular activity. It’s a great way to relax, relieve stress and boredom, and work on fine motor skills. Choose from any number of adult colouring books and pair them with some nice pencils or watercolour paints.
5. Something Handmade
Channel those Mother’s Days of old and make something from scratch for your mum or grandmother. If you have children, get them involved in creating a card or calendar that can take pride of place in your mum’s room. Handprints, glitter and macaroni will always bring a smile.
Looking for more Mother’s Day gift ideas? Read this: 10 handy gadgets for senior living.
Mother’s Day activities for seniors
With the gifts wrapped up, let’s take a look at some ideas for how to spend the day together.
1. Get Everyone Together
If your mum is used to sporadic visits from different family members throughout the year, why not pick Mother’s Day for a full reunion? Gather your siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, kids, nieces and nephews together in one place to surprise your mum or grandmother. Plan a picnic in the park or a garden party at someone’s house to make it extra special.
2. Plan An Outing Down Memory Lane
What’s your mum’s favourite thing to do? How did she like to spend her time when she was younger? Use the answers to those questions to plan a meaningful Mother’s Day outing. If she loves animals, perhaps a trip to the zoo is in order. If she loved to bake, maybe an afternoon tea would go down a treat. Or perhaps she misses the pictures. A matinee movie with a big bag of popcorn could be a lovely way to spend a Sunday together.
3. Stay In (And Get Stuck In)
Not everyone is able to leave the nursing home for a day trip. If your mum or grandmother has to stay in this Mother’s Day, join them. Better yet, find out if their care home is running any special events to mark the occasion. Whether it’s tea and cakes, a crafting session, or karaoke, get stuck in and enjoy some quality time together.
Mother’s Day at Fulford
We like to make a big deal of Mother’s Day here at Fulford. We host a range of events and activities, and we invite our residents and their families to join us. Take a look at some of these photos from previous years to get a feel for what we do.
Alternatively, if you simply want to visit your loved one and reminisce together somewhere quiet, we have plenty of space indoors and out, and we’d be happy to help you arrange that.
If you have any questions about visiting on Mother’s Day (or any day of the year), call us at 01904 654269.