Senior Care Tips: Summer Outings with Aging Adults Coping with Mobility Issues

By Jamie Shapiro | July 10, 2015 | Comments Off on Senior Care Tips: Summer Outings with Aging Adults Coping with Mobility Issues

Senior Care in Deerfield IL

Planning outings with your elderly loved ones is a great way to keep your senior care routine interesting and engaging, pursue your care goals of ensuring they get the right amount of physical activity and mental stimulation on a regular basis, and create lasting memories you can cherish even after your care journey comes to an end. Particularly during the summertime, however, enjoying these outings with aging adults who cope with mobility issues can be particularly challenging. Mobility issues limit your parent’s ability to participate in outings and can even change the types of outings that are available to you.

Dealing with physical limitations, however, does not mean that you have to eliminate your plans for fun summer outings with your seniors this year. With some advanced planning and a few tips and strategies, you can still get all of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of heading out for fun family adventures together, while ensuring that your parent stays safe, healthy, and comfortable.

Use these tips to help you plan and manage summer outings with your aging adults who cope with mobility issues:

• Research. Before you embark on an outing, make sure you do plenty of research to find out about the accessibility of the places you want to visit. Look at their website, visit tourist review sites, and even call the location to find out about features such as elevators, ramps, and handicap accessible areas that will ensure your parent is able to visit safely. Being armed with this information in advance allows you to make decisions about where you can visit and makes it easier to find the accessibility features when you arrive;

• Have the right tools. Being overly prepared and realizing that you do not need all of the supplies you brought along once you arrive is far better than getting to a location and having to cut your visit short because you do not have what you need and your parent is unable to continue. Bring along mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, or canes, or make sure that mobility aids are available for rent, even if your parent does not always use them. This ensures that if he gets tired or the location is too strenuous for him, he can use the mobility aid and continue to participate;

• Bring help. Bring along a senior health care services provider who can act as an extra set of hands and eyes to take care of both of your parents. This ensures both of them can participate in the activity confidently without you having to put all of your attention into helping the one with the mobility issue;

• Take breaks. The heat and humidity of summer often make mobility challenges worse. Schedule in plenty of time to take breaks throughout the day so you can sit down, drink some cold water, and enjoy a high-energy snack to keep you and your elderly loved ones going.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care services in Deerfield, 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
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