Getting elderly parents out to meet people and start hobbies/clubs

[billysboy]

I lost my Dad last year and he was a social person who had a wide circle of friends which was great in his final months as he had a core group of around a dozen people that popped into see him in his care home on a weekly basis

My PIL live in a isolated spot with just two immediate neighbours ,FIL is going deaf so has no interest in going out but MIL is a real chatterbox and loves being social however over the last few years they have been out less and less and now go out hardly at all becoming more introverted

My partner and her siblings have tried over the years to encourage them out or to join things but they dont seem to want to

My concern is that they are not getting any younger and one day one of them will be gone leaving the other completely alone with no network of local friends for support

We live a couple of hours away so day to day visits will be exhausting

I have offered to buy MIL some pilates lessons at local club in village to get her out but after some initial enthusiasm the idea has been sent to coventry

Any ideas on how to break the deadlock and encourage them both out or seperatly

There may be a list if activities in their area, call the local library Rey, social services, the local Church. GP surgeries have started a scheme called Practice Champions where doctors talk to patients about their interests and they are put in contact with other people. Would your mil be interested in voluntary work, you could also try the local age concern. What sort of things does mil like to do and where about do they live.

Theres no shortage of things to do its just crowbaring them out to do it

Billy, why push them? It's no guarantee of help in a crisis and if they don't want to, it is not right to push them.