With fall fast approaching, your loved one might think she’s missed her chance to do much bird watching this year. But the good news is that if she has a yard or open space outdoors to use, she can take steps now, with the help of companion care at home caregivers, to help make her yard appealing to the birds that stay year-round. That way, she’ll get visitors even on the coldest of winter days.
Bird Watching for the Elderly
Bird watching is a great activity for the elderly. It is a relaxing activity that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money for those on a budget. It can be done at home, so if your loved one doesn’t drive, she can still enjoy connecting with nature by simply stepping out the back door.
Bird watching is also a wonderful way to connect with the outside world around her, making her more mindful of the present blessings instead of dwelling on past hurts or worrying about future concerns. It is a great way to relax and boost mental health, and it is something companion care at home providers can help her with.
Steps for Inviting Birds to Return this Fall
Step 1: Do a bit of research.
Your loved one can travel to a local bird food store or nature center to find out what kinds of birds live in her area. Once she learns what birds stay in her area all winter long, she can know how to prepare for them.
Step 2: Offering food.
Food is probably the biggest motivator for just about any animal. She should find out what type of seeds or other foods entice her local birds to visit. Her companion care at home provider can visit the stores with her to help purchase and carry any items she needs. Your loved one can also shop online and have it delivered right to her door if that’s easier.
Step 3: Get a bird feeder or two.
Now that she has the food, she needs a way to provide the food safely to the birds. Some birds have very specific feeders (like a hummingbird feeder) while other birds can share a feeder with different species (and those pesky squirrels). Once the feeders are set up, her companion care at home provider can help her fill it up if it’s out of her reach or the food is too heavy.
Step 4: If possible, get a bird bath as well.
Birds will especially appreciate a bird bath in climates that get dry over the winter months. Having a consistent source of water for bathing and drinking can have them coming back again and again.
Step 5: Be consistent.
The key to having birds visit your home all winter long is to be consistent. In many areas, birds have to constantly search for food that may be sparse in the winter. If your loved one feeder is always full, the birds will quickly catch on to the fact that this location is an easy place for them to find what they need to survive the winter. But if your loved one even goes just a few weeks with an empty feeder, they may move on and not return.
Once those steps are taken, your elderly loved one can invite her companion care at home provider to sit and watch all of the birds with her this winter. Because sharing something you love with someone makes it even more fun.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Companion Care at Home in Westport, CT, please contact the caring staff at Connecticut Nursing Services today. 203-730-2739
