When those temperatures soar, you might be tempted to keep mom and dad inside to keep them safe from heat and possible heat-related illnesses. It is wise to be aware of the dangers of high temps and humidity, but summer only happens once a year, so you don’t want to miss it completely. As always, keep in mind your parent’s health limitations and adjust them as needed. You may also want to consider hiring home care assistance providers so that you don’t have to be your parent’s social director. A trained professional can also help your parent attend or do some of these fun activities.
If you’re looking for some ideas on activities you or their home care assistance aides can do with your aging parent, here are a few fun ones that most people can enjoy.
Have a picnic
Pack up a cold picnic lunch, some iced tea, and a blanket, then head to a nearby park with lots of shade. Spread out the blanket and enjoy a breeze while being protected from the sun. If sitting on the ground is an issue, look for picnic tables in the shade for a more comfortable sitting and eating activity.
Go for a drive
Do you have a scenic lake or oceanfront that’s beautiful but the current temps make it too hot to walk on the beach? Grab your favorite iced coffee, turn on that air conditioning and take your parent for a drive. Find some music from the days when your parent was a teenager and play it on the radio and then ask questions about their youth. You might hear some favorites or learn something new!
Visit those local museums with their home care assistance aide
Even many small towns have little museums or tourist destinations that as a local, you never visit. Spend a morning visiting one or two, especially if they have both indoor and outdoor areas to walk around and explore. Their home care assistance provider might also be available to take your parent out for shorter activities like this. It can be a great way to learn more about your community.
Stroll through a garden
Again, look at early morning visits or early evening visits when the weather is milder. Many areas of the country see no flowers for 4-6 months a year, so summer is the time to get out and enjoy those beautiful gardens. Bring the camera and take lots of photos to enjoy when the cold wind is blowing in January.
Enjoy a concert
Also, a bonus of summer is wonderful outdoor concerts from local performers. You’ll often find them in pavilions, garden areas, or patios of local restaurants and bars. Your home care assistance provider can help your parent do a local search on the internet for who is playing nearby and when so your parent can choose music that he loves.
It’s not too hard to be creative in order to help your parent enjoy these lovely days of summer safely.