There was a time when community members knew each other on a first name basis. Some small towns and neighborhoods are still like this. Neighbors celebrate holidays together or keep an eye out for each other in many ways. However, many of us have become more focused on our own lives and there is nothing wrong with that. But there is always room in our lives to help others. A good way to start would be with your elderly neighbors. You can utilize ways to help elderly neighbors to get more connected to your community. Your efforts may even set an example for the rest of your community as the connection spreads from household to household. Finding ways to help elderly neighbors is easier than you may think and could start a chain reaction that ties your community together.

Ways to Help Elderly Neighbors | Initiate a Relationship

The first thing to do is to introduce yourself. There are many safe ways you can do this like having your kids make cards to be delivered in their mailboxes or write a short letter introducing yourself and offering to be of service when available. The important thing is that you include your phone number and name so that they may reach out to you if they ever need to. In fact, make sure to let them know that if they ever just want to talk, they can give you a call.

Getting Dirty

One thing you may be able to do is help with yard work. There are some ways to help elderly neighbors that may get in the way. Some senior citizens use gardening and yard work to stay active and to care for something. But not everyone loves yard work. You can offer to help keep their yard up, especially during times when they cannot get outside in a safe way. There is lawn to be mowed, weeds to be pulled, and watering to do. You can even get your family involved and make it a fun way to connect with your own household.

Home Cooked Meals

There are plenty of elderly neighbors who are just not able to cook themselves a meal. These people often turn to food delivery services or eating out in general. You can change that by offering a meal every now and then. The meal could be once a week or more. You can even get other neighbors involved by asking them to take responsibility for a different week. Not only is this one of the easiest ways to help elderly neighbors. It is also a great way to connect with other neighbors as well.

Contact Info

One of the most important ways to help elderly neighbors is to gather emergency contact info. It may make the person feel a bit safer knowing that a neighbor has the contact info of their family or friends. We would hope that you never need to put them to use. However, you would always be contacting their family and friends faster than anyone else could in the event of an emergency. You could also introduce yourself to those emergency contacts.

Personal Instacart

Another one of the easiest ways to help elderly neighbors is to grocery shop for them. You can easily add a few things to your shopping list for them the next time you head out to the store. Simply ask if there is anything they may need while you are out. You could offer to do this for free or ask them to pay for the items. Either way, you will be saving them money on delivery fees from delivery apps like Instacart, Door Dash, or others. You could also offer to help with other items as well. These are all great ways to help elderly neighbors and grow your community’s relationship.