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Best Hobbies for Senior Citizens: At-Home Ideas, Active Options, and Local Classes · Home Care Powered By AUAF

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Home Care Podcast.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Glad to be here.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: So, um imagine working for like 40 to 50 years, you know, waking up early, raising a family, solving problems, just constantly moving.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: The daily grind.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: And then you finally reach the promised land of retirement, expecting this beautiful blank canvas of free time.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: But uh without a plan, that beautiful blank canvas can very quickly and very quietly turn into an isolating empty room.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: It really can.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: It happens all the time.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: It does.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: So today we are taking a deep dive into a stack of sources dedicated to one of the most universal challenges out there, which is how we genuinely enrich our senior years.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and we're looking specifically at the Chicago and Illinois area for this.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: We're pulling from a comprehensive guide on the absolute best hobbies for older adults, combined with some real-world frameworks from home care powered by AUAF, which is an established non-medical in-home care agency.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: So the core mission for you today, listening to this, is figuring out how we shift the focus of aging from just, you know, managing chores and surviving the week to actively pursuing joy, purpose, and community.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it is a massive paradigm shift.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, it is uh it's long overdue.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely, because for decades the conversation around elder care has been so heavily clinical.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like it has been almost entirely focused on risk mitigation.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Keeping people safe.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Keeping people safe, preventing falls, managing medication.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, while safety is obviously the baseline, it cannot be the finish line.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: If we are only focused on keeping someone safe, we're ignoring the quality of the years we're trying to preserve.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: The materials we're unpacking today argue that we really have to elevate our expectations of what those later years actually look like.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's unpack this because I gotta admit, when I was reading through the first part of this research, uh section specifically focused on hobbies, I felt a little skeptical.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Well, calling a hobby a medical necessity, which is the exact phrase used in the data, it sounds a bit dramatic to me.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we usually treat things like jigsaw puzzles or gardening as like nice little ways to pass the time.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that is the common misconception.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: But the data from the National Institute on Aging and the CDC paints a very different picture, specifically for adults 65 and older.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, really?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Engaging in hobbies is far more than just a distraction technique.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: When you look at the cognitive and physiological research, regular engagement in hobbies directly influences cardiovascular health.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: It improves physical balance, it regulates sleep architecture, which is uh well, it's critical because our circadian rhythms often degrade as we get older.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Wait, so doing a crossword puzzle or planting tomatoes is actually doing structural work for the body.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because you are essentially forcing the engine to keep running.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Think about the psychological impact of retirement.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: For decades, your routine is dictated to you by external forces.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: You have a career, you have children to feed, you have a daily commute.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right, you have to get up and go.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Those responsibilities force you to engage with the world, to problem solve, to move your body.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: When that built-in structure is suddenly stripped away, cognitive decline can accelerate rapidly simply from a lack of use.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: So the hobbies replace the job, essentially.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: If we connect this to the bigger picture, hobbies step in to artificially create that vital daily friction.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: They reduce stress, alleviate loneliness, and they give you a reason to wake up, a problem to solve, and um a tangible sense of accomplishment by the end of the day.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell That reframes it completely.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like it isn't about killing time at all.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's about replacing the structural load that work and family used to provide.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, knowing these medical and psychological benefits doesn't necessarily solve the practical problem.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like you can tell an 80-year-old to go and be active all day.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: But when we say active for a 70 or 80-year-old, what does that actually look like on a random rainy Tuesday afternoon?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's the real question.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Because when I hear the word active, my brain defaults to jogging or hitting a treadmill, which obviously does not apply to everyone.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: No, it doesn't.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Activity has to scale entirely to a person's current mobility.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that is where the practical recommendations in this guide are so valuable.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: They break it down by accessibility in their FAQs.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: What do they suggest?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, for instance, for seniors who are highly mobile, walking and light hiking are phenomenal.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: Just getting outside.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because they require zero specialized equipment and provide cardiovascular benefits without joint shock.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Also, swimming is heavily recommended for someone in their 70s because the water provides full body resistance.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, right, making the movement entirely zero impact.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: Now I noticed gardening was incredibly high in the list of recommendations too, which makes sense from a mental health perspective, you know, being outside, getting some vitamin D.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, definitely.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: But crouching down in the dirt for two hours pulling weeds seems like a recipe for a blown-out knee or like severe back spasms if you're dealing with arthritis.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: That is a very real barrier.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: But the solution isn't to abandon the hobby, it's to adapt the environment.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: The guide highlights this really cool hack, basically the mechanics of raised garden beds and container gardening.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, elevating the soil.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: By elevating the soil to waist height, you completely eliminate the need to bend, crouch, or kneel.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: So a senior with limited mobility can literally stand or pull up a comfortable chair and still engage in the routine of watering, pruning, and growing flowers, herbs, or vegetables.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: That's brilliant.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: They get the sensory experience of the soil and the satisfaction of watching something grow, but without the physical strain.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: You modify the world to fit the person.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, but let's take mobility out of the equation for a second.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Let's say we're looking at a senior who is largely homebound, or maybe it's just a brutal Chicago winter and literally no one is going outside.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, winter changes everything.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: How are they supposed to get this medical necessity level of engagement from their living room?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: That is where the focus shifts to at-home cognitive workouts.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: For 80-year-olds or homebound seniors, the guide leans into spatial and fine motor activities.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: A jigsaw puzzle, for example, is quietly doing heavy lifting for the brain to maintain hand-eye coordination.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: But the really fascinating mechanism involves hobbies like knitting, crocheting, or sewing.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: Because it keeps the fingers dexterous, like for focus and fine motor skills.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: That is part of it, yes.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: Fine motor control often degrades, so practicing it is important.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: But the deeper mechanism is the effect on the parasympathetic nervous system.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Wait, really?
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: The retentive rhythmic motion of knitting actually induces a state very similar to meditation.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: It actively lowers the heart rate and reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like a neurological hack.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: You're using a physical repetitive motion to force the brain to calm down.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: It soothes the nervous system while keeping the mind focused.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, if we are talking about at-home activities, the most compelling recommendation in this entire stack of research is the Family History Project.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: The detective work, yes.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: I was hoping we would get to this.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: This stood out to me more than anything else in the sources.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: It is brilliant because of how it shifts the interpersonal dynamic.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Aging can sometimes feel like a slow loss of agency, right?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: You go from being the head of the household, the provider, to sometimes feeling like you are the one constantly being provided for.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Family History Project flips that narrative.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: The senior becomes the archivist.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: They are gathering old stories, photographs, pulling public records, writing down the oral histories that literally only they remember.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: It requires deep cognitive research.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: But more importantly, they're producing something of immense, irreplaceable value for the rest of their family right from their living room.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: And notice the underlying mechanism there, too.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: It creates an organic reason to reach out to people.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: You have to call a distant cousin to verify a date or ask your children to help you scan documents.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: It naturally bridges the gap between solitary cognitive work and socialization.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Which is critical because isolation is arguably the most dangerous element of aging.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: Which brings us to the social lifeline.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: The research puts a massive emphasis on finding community close to home.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I want to inject some reality here for you, the listener, especially if you are currently trying to help your parents stay engaged.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: It is incredibly easy for an article to cheerfully suggest that a senior should just, you know, go be social.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: But isn't it intimidating or expensive to just join a new class at 75?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like if your social circle has shrunk, the idea walking into a room full of strangers sounds absolutely terrifying.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, it is deeply intimidating.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Social anxiety does not disappear just because you retire.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: That is why the recommendations here bypass those high barrier entry points.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: So no expensive country clubs.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: We aren't talking about joining a country club.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: The focus is on practical, low-cost solutions using public infrastructure that is literally designed to be accessible.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Public libraries, local park districts, community colleges, churches, and local departments on aging.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: Environments where the barrier to entry is basically zero.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Precisely.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: And the key is that these institutions structure the socialization around a shared task.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Take a library book club, for example.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: You beautifully combine the solitary cognitive benefit of reading the text at home with a scheduled, routine commitment to sit in a room and have a conversation.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: You aren't just making small talk, you are engaging with different viewpoints.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: You have an identity outside of just being someone's grandparent.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: And the same mechanism applies to the art and craft classes hosted by park districts: painting, pottery, drawing.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: These are almost always free or very affordable.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it removes the pressure of forced conversation because everyone is focused on their canvas or their clay.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: And at the end of the session, they have created a tangible item to display or give as a gift, which really helps build confidence.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so we have built this incredibly robust menu of activities.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: We have the adapted raised bed gardens, the stress-reducing knitting, the family history detective work, the book clubs.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: It all sounds perfect.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: But there is a massive, glaring logistical wall we are going to hit.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: It all comes down to basic human energy.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: You cannot realistically expect an 80-year-old to enthusiastically enjoy a park district pottery class or focus on their garden if they are completely exhausted from doing laundry and making lunch all day.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: That is the reality check that often gets missed.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: The friction of daily living can entirely consume the energy required for quality living.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's like trying to enjoy a scenic road trip when you're the one constantly fixing the engine.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: If you have to pull over every 10 miles to check the tires and pump the gas, you are never going to look out the window.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes you need to outsource the maintenance so you can actually enjoy the drive.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: That is a perfect analogy.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: The cognitive and physical load of just keeping the vehicle moving becomes the entire experience.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: And that causal link is exactly why the second half of this deep dive shifts to the operational side of things, introducing home care powered by AUAF as the solution.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: They are the mechanism that outsources the maintenance.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: Let's define what that actually looks like in practice.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: Because the term in-home care gets thrown around a lot, but AUAF is specifically a non-medical in-home care agency.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: What does that mean?
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, they have over 30 years of experience in the Chicagoland area.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: They are licensed by the Illinois Department on Aging, and they abide by the Illinois Community Care Program.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, but what do they actually do for the senior?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: They step in to handle the exact tasks that drain a senior's energy to free up their time.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's not clinical intervention.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: AUAF caregivers handle lighthousekeeping, laundry, errand running, and medication reminders.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: And meal prep, right.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: Which is huge.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, meal preparation is critical because standing at a stove chopping vegetables becomes physically painful for many seniors.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: By having a caregiver handle the meal prep, you are actively preventing the rapid physical decline that comes with malnutrition.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: And they also handle personal care.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Helping someone safely bathe or get dressed, plus specialized care for Alzheimer's and dementia.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if you are a family member listening to this and you're considering inviting a professional into your parents' home, the trust barrier is huge.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I noticed from the text, AUAF has an impressive approach to the linguistic diversity of Chicago.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because you can't just deploy English-speaking caregivers across the board and expect people to feel comfortable.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: You really can't.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Language creates instant vulnerability.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you need help bathing and the person helping you cannot understand your native language, it spikes your anxiety.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: AUAF recognized this, so their staff is incredibly diverse.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: They are fluent in English, Assyrian, Arabic, Spanish.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_01: Wait, really?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: They have all of those?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Persian.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: Which means a senior living in like Skokie or Schomburg can converse and express their needs in the language they are most comfortable with.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: It fundamentally changes the relationship to a genuine community connection.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: And their service area is huge, from Arlington Heights to Skookie, Schaumburg, Evanston, and beyond.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Now there is one more critical piece of the puzzle here from the text, and it involves the financial and emotional toll on the families themselves.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: The paid family caregiver option.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Because right now there's probably a daughter out there cutting back her hours at work, sacrificing her own income, to go to her mom's house 20 hours a week to do laundry and cook meals.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: It is a silent crisis.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: The family member is drowning financially and emotionally.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: But through Illinois' community care program, people caring for a loved one can actually become officially compensated for their time.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: They can become paid family caregivers.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: So the daughter losing income can actually get paid for the work she's already doing.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: And AUAF guides them through all the state requirements and training to get them officially set up in the system.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_01: That is profound.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: It removes the crushing financial pressure.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: If she isn't stressed about making rent, she can actually sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with her mom.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: It ensures that the logistical demands of aging do not destroy the emotional bonds of the family.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's pull all of these threads together for you, the listener.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: To synthesize everything, aging gracefully is a combination of finding the right, engaging hobbies, whether that's a jigsaw puzzle or a walking group, and getting the right support system in place, outsourcing that daily maintenance so you actually have the energy to enjoy them.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: You simply cannot thrive if your baseline is perpetual exhaustion.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: So if you or a loved one in Illinois need this kind of support, you can reach Home Care Powered by AUAF at 773-274-9262.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: And as we close out, I want to leave you with a final thought to mull over.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: Let's hear it.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: We spend so much of our lives working to earn free time in retirement.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: But looking at all this, the real question is have you thought about who you want to be when you finally have that time rather than just what you want to do?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: That entirely shifts how I look at that blank canvas.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for joining us on this deep dive.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: We hope it armed you with some valuable tools.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, take care of yourselves and take care of each other.