July is here, and with over half of 2024 already behind us, we thought we would take this month to focus our blog post on a slightly different topic than usual. This month, we will change our discussion to caregivers and Companions, and review some novel activities that are sure to revitalize the day-to-day routine that builds up over the course of caregiving. Although routine is crucial for healthy, happy functioning, it does all parties well to step outside of their daily habits once in a while. So here are a few ideas for activities that can help break the day-to-day monotony while making sure everyone stays safe!
1.) Senior Center programs: Asking your client their knowledge about senior centers might reveal that they have a favorite location where they attend regular events. If they’ve never attended programming at senior centers, then encourage them to give it a try. Events and activities are typically posted online and can help in the planning process for future outings. Speak with your clients and encourage them to give their senior center a try as this is a great way to break the monotony while also exposing them to their peers with whom they can establish a potential new friendship!
2.) Nature Center: With the beautiful weather in full swing, an afternoon outdoors presents itself as a wonderful opportunity to shake things up. Nature centers are all over the country and they provide not only beautiful scenery and fresh air, but often times they also host events with lectures and activities. Make a call to a nature center near you and collect some information on upcoming events that might be of interest to your client!
3.) Animal Shelter: Is your client a pet owner or animal lover? If so, suggest a trip to a nearby animal shelter where you can spend a few hours playing with different pets that are waiting to be adopted. Not only will this be beneficial for you and your clients, but also for the animals in the shelter and the employees working there. With so many positive reasons for visiting, animal shelters are a great opportunity for seniors and animal lovers everywhere!
4.) Nostalgic Movie: Wanting to try something new but the oppressive summer heat forcing you to stay indoors? No worries! Ask your client if they have any old movies that they haven't seen in a while or suggest some from your own collection to bring during your time with them! Watching a classic together will lead to dozens of opportunities for socialization and discussion, and the nostalgia of revisiting an old favorite will certainly be felt by your client. So, pop some corn, blast the air conditioning, and take on the dog days of summer headfirst with an impromptu movie day to change up the routine.
5.) Concert: Summertime brings outdoor music in abundance, and you won’t need to look very hard to find live music near you at all times of day. Whatever your preference, jazz, classical, rock, you’ll likely be able to coordinate an outing with your client and see a performance. Don’t forget to bring pop-up chairs and a few bottles of water so that you won’t need to worry about seating or overpriced drinks!
6.) Farmers Market: Though it might be a bit of a drive out to the countryside, a trip to the farmers market is certain to be an event that everybody will enjoy. There, you can find fresh local food and treats to enjoy and maybe you’ll even find some inspiration for a new dish to make with your client back at their home. Beyond the food, there are often opportunities to interact with farm animals and trails to walk available for patrons to enjoy.
7.) Library: During the summer months, libraries are awash with programming for all ages to enjoy. Even better, these programs are often free or only cost a small upfront fee to register for. Libraries post all their events online well in advance of the actual date, so you’ll have plenty of time for planning and exploring the different options they offer.
8.) Diners and Creameries: Are the same meals every week starting to wear your client down? If so, shake things up with a trip to a local diner or creamery where you can socialize and bond over a wonderful casual meal. Getting out of the house can be more challenging for some clients than others, but everybody eats so these activities are sure to be worth your consideration at some point. If your client isn’t too keen on leaving the house for a sit-down experience, then maybe some take out would be more their speed, either way, shaking up the meal plan is always a good way to spend a few enjoyable hours with your client in a way that will leave you both feeling satisfied.
9.) New Recipe: Have you been scrolling through social media and stumbled upon a recipe that looks both delicious and fun? Maybe you and your client enjoy watching the food network or cooking shows while eating lunch, wherever the inspiration comes from, it can be both challenging and rewarding to try your hand at a new recipe, and with so many local foods available during this time of year, now is as good a time as any to try out something new in the kitchen together!
10.) Puzzles: Harkening back to the libraries really quick, puzzles are available to rent at most every location in the same way you’d rent a book. While most puzzles are not designed to be completed in one sitting, starting one on an unused table can prove to be a long-term summer activity that the two of you can enjoy together for months to come. Puzzles encourage cooperation and offer up space for socialization to occur naturally, while taking some of the focus off of the individual, thus creating a more comfortable space for you and your client to build a bond.
11.) Pen Pal: If your client is in need of additional social support and could use a little something extra to look forward to in their life, a pen pal might be a great option. A quick search on social media or google will show just how many avenues exist for establishing an interaction with a pen pal from anywhere on the globe. Seniors can benefit uniquely from finding a pen pal, and there exist a number of databases and services which connect seniors with other seniors throughout the country to become pen pals. This activity also takes some of the stress out of face-to-face interactions while still allowing for regular communication and support to occur. Ask your client their thoughts on finding a pen pal and go from there, write it for or with them and then take a trip together to the post office to mail it off and jump start a brand new beneficial social relationship that might last them a lifetime!
12.) Arts and Crafts: Last but never least we arrive at arts and crafts. Few activities are more versatile than arts and crafts, so keep them in mind as a fallback activity for any day and any weather. Outdoor arts and crafts can include things like painting pictures, putting up bird feeders/houses, building a rock garden, painting stones, and dying shirts. If the weather is too hot, then indoor crafts will make a great activity to help pass the time and build relationships. Indoor arts and crafts could include fun summertime themed projects like pressing flowers, making suncatchers, decorating cookies, adult coloring books, crocheting, knitting, and decorating picture frames among many others. Give the monotony a break and embrace your creative side on any day of the year with any of these ideas and more!
As we round the corner and enter the second half of the year, take some time to set up a few days that are out of the ordinary. We all depend on our routines to keep us grounded, but adding something new into the day-to-day routine can prove tremendously beneficial to all parties involved. Keep in mind that seniors are often not able to freely engage in events and activities as often as they might want to, so by utilizing your role as their companion caregiver to help them get out occasionally, you might be making a bigger impact than you think. We hope this list proves helpful in your caregiving endeavors this summer, and from all of us at Noble Companion, a sincere thank you to each and every caregiver out there!
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