Hi! My mom just turned 100 years old and is sharp as a tack (er...except when she isn't...we have our moments). She can't see well, can't hear well, isn't very mobile, but in her heart of hearts, she is still a vigorous young woman. She goes crazy if she doesn't have something to do. Sometimes I have to fib a little to keep her busy, but if any of you have this problem, here are a few things I do:
0 Buy a cheap shredder and ask her for her help disposing of clutter. PROBLEM: You eventually run out of paper and things to shred, but it's good while it lasts!
0 Buy a fast photo scanner. I print documents from my Word files and ask her to scan in every morning. Here's where I feel a little guilty: I usually having her scan the same thing every day. Saves on printer paper!
0 Go to the bank and get several rolls of coins. Ask her to separate them into baggies. If she can do it, ask her to put them in wrappers.
0 Ask her to sort white clothes from colored clothes before you put them in the laundry.
0 Get a bunch of old towels (as many as possible), and go through your "must go to Goodwill bags." Ask her to fold the towels and clothes.
0 If she likes housekeeping (my mom doesn't, which is probably why I'm a neat freak), ask her to do some dusting.
0 Sit down and ask her advice...then listen seriously. She has decades of experience and you might learn something!
0 Go to a YouTube or Audible that you think she might like, then give her earphones, make her comfortable and let her enjoy.
0 If she doesn't mind reminiscing, ask her to dictate the memories of her life or write them out.
0 Envelope stuffing. Another one I feel guilty over, but it does occupy her mind. Print out a hundred or so flyers (you can make them up yourself), put out a bunch of envelopes and tell her that a friend is starting a business and needs someone to help with the envelope stuffing. This one really makes me feel guilty. I don't like fibbing, but I feel a little better when I see that it makes her feel like she is contributing.
These are just a few tips. I'd love to hear yours! I can use all the help I can get!!! Here's to our moms and dads and their desire to still be helpful, useful, and busy. I know when I get to that age (God willing!), I'd want to feel like I was still an important part of life.
If her hands are able to use a scissor you can purchase a fabric scissor and have her cut up old shirts and towels into rags. You can also ask neighbors for donations of clean items and she can return cut rags to them. I personally use a ton of cotton rags fro old t-shirts.
I have my 100-yr old aunt sort a large bag of mixed up plastic utensils. She can also sort nuts from bolts and then pair them (screw them together).
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I also ask her to do shredding by hand sometimes. I give her a stack of paper that needs to be shredded and ask her if she will just tear them by hand.