Elderly Care Fun: Creating an At-Home Beach Vacation to Welcome Warmer Weather

Elderly Care in Highland Park IL

As the warmer weather of spring and summer come, thoughts turn to fun vacations and leisurely days relaxing in the sun. If you live far away from the beach, your aging loved ones have cognitive or physical limitations that do not allow them to travel, or you just want to enjoy the relaxation and luxury of a beach without making the time and financial investment of actually traveling, creating your own beach vacation is a fun way to unwind and make memories with your elderly parents.

Making an at-home beach vacation part of your elderly care plan does not have to be a tremendous undertaking. This project is something you can quickly create on your own or with the help of your parents’ elder home care provider so you can enjoy some warm weather fun in the comfort, safety, and convenience of your aging loved ones’ own backyard.

The extent and detail of your at-home beach depends largely on the amount of space you have available, how much time and money you want to invest into creating your space, and the type of physical and cognitive limitations that impact your parents. Take some time to plan your beach, even asking for the feedback and recommendations of their elderly health care services provider, so you can create an enjoyable, relaxing, and memorable space that is perfect for everyone to experience together.

Use these suggestions to inspire your own creativity and get your elderly care out on the beach without ever having to leave home:

• Bring in the sand. No beach vacation would be complete without digging your toes in the sand. Not only does this bring to mind memories of past vacations and give you something fun to play with, the tactile experience is a useful form of sensory therapy that can stimulate the mind even in seniors with cognitive difficulties such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Build or purchase a large sandbox and fill it with enough sand to bury your feet. For extra fun, purchase colored sand that personalizes the sandbox and enhances the whimsical experience. If you have children, this box is the perfect thing to keep at your parents’ home so they have something to play with during visits. If not, you can keep the box filled for future at-home beach trips or empty it and fill it with potting soil to create a convenient container garden

• Splash in the water. You might not be able to bring the waves and the smell of the salt air to your home, but you can still let your elderly parents enjoy the feeling of cooling off in the water by filling a small pool and putting it near your sand. If the pool is large enough and they desire, your parents can don their swimsuits and sit in the shallow water. For more cautious seniors or if you only have space for a very small pool, set up lawn chairs in the sandbox and let them put their feet in the water

• Sip fruity beverages. Create a truly tropical experience with delicious non-alcoholic fruity beverages. Visit dollar-type or party supply stores in your area to find inexpensive plastic glasses in fun shapes and bright colors, and serve fruit smoothies or frozen fruit slushies. If your parents enjoy the flavor of margaritas or daiquiris but the doctor recommends they not drink alcohol, create virgin versions by using the mixes and adding fruit juice rather than alcohol

• Add the details. Put the finishing touches on your at-home beach vacation by adding creative details such as burying seashells in the sandbox for your children and parents to discover together, inflating a variety of beach balls and placing them around the space, or even playing tropical music.

As with any other change in your routine, bringing your elderly care outside can present additional challenges. Make sure you carefully consider mobility, sun safety, and water safety to ensure your senior loved ones have fun but stay safe. Even if they do not already have a regular care provider, consider getting in touch with the elder care agency in your area to hire an elder home care provider to offer extra help, care, and support on your “vacation” so both parents can relax and enjoy the experience while still getting the care and assistance they need.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care services in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro