[For Seniors] Recommended Events for May: A Roundup of Ideas That Get Everyone Engaged
May is a refreshing season that makes your heart feel light.
As the weather warms up, it becomes easier to hold events at facilities and similar venues.
It’s also a time when older adults may feel like trying new things, isn’t it?
With that in mind, we’re introducing recommended May events for seniors.
We selected activities designed so that even those who find it difficult to move around can still enjoy themselves.
May features many events and observances, such as Golden Week, Children’s Day (Tango no Sekku), and Mother’s Day.
There are also interesting commemorative days that make event planning fun, like “Makeup Day” and “Hyakunin Isshu Day.”
Through these events, seniors within the same facility can communicate more and deepen their connections.
We hope everyone enjoys them together.
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[For Seniors] Recommended Events for May: A Roundup of Crowd-Pleasing Ideas (31–40)
Hyakunin Isshu
May 27 is Hyakunin Isshu Day.
It’s a great opportunity, so I’d like to introduce it.
It is said that this date marks the creation of the first Hyakunin Isshu, because Fujiwara no Teika—a court noble and poet active from the Heian period to the early Kamakura period—selected representative poems by 100 poets from collections such as the Kokin Wakashu and the Shin Kokin Wakashu.
While it’s commonly played like a card game (karuta), it’s actually quite profound.
As you memorize the verses, locate the card being read, and snatch it, your mind is rapidly cycling through comprehension, thinking, judgment, and action.
It also works well as brain training and can be enjoyed by multiple people, so it’s recommended as a recreational activity in senior care facilities.
Foot bath with iris-infused water
While Tango no Sekku is known as Children’s Day, its original meaning—warding off evil and praying for good health—brings blessings to everyone.
So today, we’d like to introduce a foot bath using sweet flag (shobu).
All you need is a large container, hot water, and shobu.
That’s it.
Fill the container with hot water and float the shobu on top.
Since the leaves could potentially irritate the skin, chopping them into small pieces and placing them in a mesh bag allows you to enjoy it safely.
The expected benefits include promoting circulation, relieving fatigue, strengthening the internal organs, easing sensitivity to cold, and alleviating stiff shoulders, making it especially pleasing for older adults.
You can find shobu at supermarkets or florists, so please give it a try.
Head and shoulder massage
Giving a head and shoulder massage on Mother’s Day is a wonderful way to show your appreciation, and it’s highly recommended.
Playing some relaxing music while you massage can help create an even deeper sense of calm.
For a head massage, the key is to use pressure that comes from your elbows and gently massage as if you’re grasping the scalp.
This can help ease muscle tension and pain, providing a pleasant, soothing sensation.
For the shoulder massage, loosen the shoulder muscles with friction as you work.
It may also be a good idea to use a massage cream, but be sure to check for any allergies beforehand.
dining out
In seasons that are perfect for going out, such as spring and autumn, it’s a great idea to make dining out an event! It may be challenging with a large group, but try coordinating by splitting the dates or using other creative approaches.
Buildings, nature, and the atmosphere of the town—things we don’t often see in daily life—can be very stimulating for older adults.
Through experiences like a slightly luxurious lunch or tea at a café, let’s give older adults who can’t go out as freely a taste of the extraordinary.
In addition, taking a walk in a scenic park to feel the season can enrich both mind and body and may also help relieve stress.
Original Hyakunin Isshu
Because the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is said to have been completed on May 27, 1235, May 27 has been established as “Hyakunin Isshu Day.” In this season with a commemorative day, trying out Hyakunin Isshu—often associated with New Year’s—could make for a fresh experience.
Enjoying the classic Ogura Hyakunin Isshu is great, but if you’re looking for more of a brain workout, creating your own original Hyakunin Isshu is also recommended.
Focus on how a waka poem is formed by pairing the upper and lower halves, and split phrases into the first and second parts to make the reading and grabbing cards.
It’s a good idea to incorporate familiar catchphrases from commercials and the like—search your memory for well-known phrases to use.
