The B Team Standard

Caregiving Idea #9: Filling Time

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I forgot to post yesterday! Oops! Sending two out today.

Sometimes what friends and family need most is filling the long days. This could be for people who are retired, home with an illness, or on bedrest. It could be someone who just ended a relationship and is feeling a little lonely. It could be someone who recently lost their job and is having a hard time finding something new. It isn’t so important what is done. It is having something to look forward to, and then spending time together to lift their spirits.

If you can see them in person, then you have tons of options: you can go out or stay in; watch a movie, look at old photo albums, play games, go for a walk. If you can’t see them in person, there are fewer options. But we all learned during the pandemic that we can just about do anything via video conferencing. My kids received a gift years ago from my cousin — it’s a box of questions to initiate family conversation. Those work great on Zoom or FaceTime; someone picks a card out of the box and everyone takes turns answering them.

Those of us who are scheduled within an inch our life can find it hard to carve out hours of our life when we can put our phone away and focus on a friend. But maybe in the end, we realize we need to slow down as much as they need the company.

Click here for Idea #10: Giving Time