While Halloween is a holiday that focuses mostly on kids, there is no reason why seniors can’t enjoy it as well. While seniors may not participate in the same way that kids do, they can certainly get involved in trick or treating, dressing up, and/or having a Halloween party.

Trick or Treating

A good way for seniors to get in the spirit of trick or treating is for them to prepare treats to give out to neighborhood kids who come to their doors. Decorating the outside of the house can help encourage holiday visitors.  Seniors who live in apartment buildings where children are not likely to come despite decorations can go for a nice evening stroll to enjoy the holiday atmosphere.

Seniors with children and grandchildren nearby might enjoy an invitation to their children’s houses on the night of Halloween so they can see their grandkids in costume and participate in handing out candies to trick or treaters.

Costumes

Image Source (CC BY 2.0) by terren in Virginia via flickr

Costumes aren’t only reserved for children – everyone loves dressing up every now and then! And wearing a costume will certainly make seniors get in the mood for Halloween. Simply search Google for “costume ideas for the elderly” to find some great costume ideas for seniors, should they be interested.

For parents and children who have grandparents living nearby, a really nice idea is to create family costumes that include the grandparents. For example, if a family dresses up as crayons, your grandparents can dress up as crayons too! If you want to dress your family up as Disney characters, choose a movie that has a role for the grandparents. For some cute family costume ideas (that you can easily expand to include grandparents), click here.

Organizing a Halloween Party for Seniors

A Halloween party for seniors is a great way for them to enjoy the holiday without having to go out of their comfort zones. For seniors who live in assisted care facilities, their children can speak to the staff to potentially arrange a Halloween party on the premises. For seniors who live on their own or even those who live with their Chicago home health caregiver, they can organize a party among friends!

Party activities for seniors can include:

• A costume contest
• Halloween bingo
• Halloween trivia
• Pumpkin decorating
• Halloween karaoke

Needless to say, if you are organizing a Halloween party in your home and your parents live nearby, invite them! Even if they aren’t so into Halloween celebrations, they can still enjoy the time with their family.

Staying Safe

The important thing on Halloween is for seniors to stay safe. If they don’t feel up to opening the door to trick or treaters, maybe an adult child can come to their house to help them. If no adult is available and they don’t feel up to it, then they don’t need to. Simple as that. Seniors should not feel pressured to push themselves beyond their limitations or comfort zones.

Other safety tips to keep in mind are:

• If they decorate the fronts of their houses, make sure there is nothing they can trip over
• They should keep the lights on outside and in the hallway so they can see
• If a certain group of trick or treaters makes them uncomfortable, they don’t need to open the door