Give your friend control. Be alert for every possible opportunity to leave him or her in control. Consult him or her about where your chair should be placed, where a gift of flowers can best be enjoyed. Let your friend do things for himself or herself if able. Jumping up to perform one service after another only confirms a nursing home resident's feeling of helplessness.
Inactivity is dangerous.
Inactivity is a major hazard of the elderly, authorities on aging tell us, leading to physical decline or even total disability. Craft shops carry a variety of projects that can be pursued on lapboards, such as crocheting, quilting, knitting, sewing, and Japanese paper folding. A baseball fan, for example, could be given a colorful baseball picture history. A gardening buff might welcome a windowsill mini-garden. I'm no longer needed.