Caregivers in Cherry Hill NJ: Birdwatching from Indoors for Homebound Seniors
Looking for a way to bring some feathered friends into your homebound parent’s life? Birdwatching is an enjoyable hobby that appeals to all ages. It’s particularly nice for homebound seniors to enjoy nature, challenge their minds and pass the days doing something besides watch television. To maximize the indoor birdwatching experience for your aging loved one as part of an engaging senior care plan, you’ll need to learn about different local birds, what they eat and how they live.
Create a Bird Watching Space
Your elderly loved one needs to have a place where they can comfortably bird watch, so that may mean adjusting the furniture and the window area to accommodate them. It can be as easy as pulling a reclining chair in front of a picture window, or rearranging bedroom furniture so the bed faces the window.
You’ll need to evaluate the outside of the window as well. Is there a tree right outside? What about a grassy area? Is the window on the second floor? Figuring out the best way to place different bird feeders right outside the window is the key factor for indoor birdwatching. Most bird feeders can be hung in trees or mounted on posts. There are also options to attach hangers to the sides of houses close to windows, or even mounting the birdfeeders on the windows themselves. Just about any view can be enhanced with bird feeders with a little creativity.
Beginner’s Guide to Bird Feeders
There’s a lot more to indoor birdwatching than tossing some seeds into a generic feeder. Your area likely has a range of birds, each with different diets and feeding preferences. You’ll also need to choose bird feeders that are sturdy enough to resist both storms and squirrels, yet are easy to fill and clean. It’s up to you and your aging loved one to entice these birds to become regular feeders right outside the window where they can be truly enjoyed.
Here’s a quick guide to help you and your elderly loved one decide what kinds of birds you want to attract and how to choose the right bird feeders to bring them right up to the window.
- Nectar Feeders: These red, plastic feeders have a large container for sugar water to be dispensed to hungry patrons. Often, they are bright red, which is ideal for attracting hummingbirds.
- Tray Feeders: This is the simplest form of bird feeder—just an edged tray on top of a short post. Filled with seeds and fruit, it becomes a buffet for ground-feeding birds with diverse diets. However, it doesn’t keep out squirrels or rain.
- House Feeders: These types have central containers filled with birdseed that spills out in small doses at the bottom. They can be mounted or hung in a tree for max versatility.
- Tube Feeders: The simple design—a mesh cylinder filled with seeds—attracts certain types of birds that feed upside down or can perch lightly, and discourages larger birds. Large sized tube feeders can handle more than a dozen birds at one time.
- Suet Feeders: Believe it or not, many birds like suet—white animal fat. Suet feeders are specially
designed to accommodate bigger birds that love to eat it.
Homebound seniors don’t have to forgo the joys of birdwatching. It’s exciting to see your senior care for their new “neighbors” and look forward to spotting them each day. With a little planning and help from family members and home care aides in maintaining the birdfeeders, your aging loved one can get to know a number of new feathered friends.
Source:
http://www.welcomewildlife.com/types-of-bird-feeders/
For senior care in Cherry Hill, NJ, and the surrounding areas, call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (856) 321-1500.
