Engaging Seniors in Summer Activities
Summer is the opportune time for seniors to get outdoors and enjoy many of the hobbies and leisure activities they’ve loved through the years. With a few adjustments for mobility and exertion, people over age 65 can enjoy a variety of fun, safe adventures with family and friends.
To appreciate time outdoors more fully, match the activity to your elder loved one’s health and factor in temperature and humidity. Outdoor activities planned in the cooler morning or evening are best, and be sure your senior drinks plenty of water and uses sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent dehydration and sunburn. The following are summertime activity suggestions that Right at Home caregivers can help seniors participate in:
- Visit a local park, perhaps a picnic by shade of trees or in a covered pavilion
- Play bowls
- Visit a pitch & put, or try nine holes on a local golf course
- Head to a local swimming pool, or try senior water aerobics
- Practice your green fingers with some light gardening
- Take a long walk
- Go fishing
- Use binoculars to go bird watching, even setting up a variety of feeders in your back garden
- Put up an easel in a park or in an interesting nature spot and paint landscapes and animals
- Visit farmer’s markets
- Play chess and board games and work on puzzles on an outdoor table with friends
- Go for ice cream or make ice cream with fresh fruit at home
- What are your aging loved one’s favorite summertime activities, and how can you keep your loved one active in many of them this summer?
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