Getting out and having fun is part of living. Our clients have enjoyed various activities, such as trips to Navy Pier in Chicago, a pumpkin farm, shopping, local parks and restaurants. That’s what sets Destiny Senior Care apart from others.
Stay Active and Live!
What wows you in life?
Fun and great activities – let’s do it!
One thing that’s important for homebound seniors – we must live on the mountaintops, not in the valleys.
Nothing can help one’s golden years than thinking positive, and getting out and doing. This might mean local trips to places of rest and amusement. Thus, we at Destiny Senior Care take seriously the importance of – having fun.
We have also gone to a pumpkin farm, an apple orchard, and have made Christmas cookies and looked at Christmas tree lights!
It’s been said that attitude is everything. Fresh air and beautiful sights help you get there.
Full of Life
One senior has told us, “You’re the only pleasant person around here. You’re so beautiful, you’re full of energy and life.”
We find that when encouraged, seniors can have the “I can do” attitude.” Getting out and having fun is part of this.
They have the joy of a child and say, “I did it!” The families later admit that mom always said that she couldn’t do it. Now she can.
Contact us now to talk about home care for your loved one. We can help them live a life worth living.
Every year on Christmas day, Annie Nestor and her husband gather with area veterans at the VFW hall in Tinley Park. They serve them a delicious Christmas dinner. It’s a great time to show them that their service to the country is greatly appreciated. The veterans come from the Mantino Veterans home.
For vets who need home care, there are two Veterans Administration programs that provide certain elderly Veterans with a monetary amount if you are eligible for, or are receiving a VA Pension benefit. It’s called Aid and Attendance (A&A) and it is an increased monthly pension amount paid if you meet one of the conditions, such as:
- You require help performing daily functions, which may include bathing, eating or dressing.
- You are bedridden.
- Other conditions.
For more information see the VA’s Elderly Veterans page.
Contact also your local community and find out what kind of benefits are available for veterans.
“It should be one’s sole endeavor to see everything afresh and create it anew.”
– Gustav Mahler
Recreational Therapy’s Benefit to Seniors
The field of recreational therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based approaches to help people with illnesses and/or disabling conditions. Its purpose, according to the American Theraputic Recreation Association, is to promote psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.
The ATRA also says,
“Recreational therapy is not all fun and games. … When individuals are suffering from a physical injury or mental illness, they need help learning, not only how to live with their disability, but to enhance their quality of life by reducing the isolation that patients experience and helping them to participate in leisure activities.”
We at Destiny Senior Care build our trips and activities in a way that benefits seniors and increases their socialization. We know that the elderly benefit from activities that involve light exercise, such as going for walks, eating out, and interacting with others.
“You can learn more about a man in one hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation.”
– Plato
Stenberg College, in British Columbia, Canada offers training in this field. They say that therapeutic recreation is important for seniors:
“Studies show that light exercise can have a positive effect on conditions such as hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes and various mental illnesses. Therefore, it is crucial for Therapeutic Recreation workers to incorporate physical activities into senior recreation programs.”
Senior Lifestyle Magazine says,
“Therapeutic recreation for seniors is very beneficial. It helps with physical, emotional and mental well-being. Cognitive, social and motor functions can greatly improve for seniors with simple daily activities.”
Overcoming Obstacles to Getting Out
It’s too easy to assume that one’s loved one does not need such activities. But we all need more than food and a roof over our head. The fresh air and camaraderie helps us grow in mind and body. Sometimes seniors offer objections to doing so. We have seen seniors change their minds, however, when encouraged and reassured that we have their best interests in mind.
“Some people are so important in our life, not because we enjoy their company, but because we feel so lonely in their absence.” – Nishan Panwar
Activities outside the home should be considered in a home care agency’s offering of services, as well as companionship, personal care, and a senior’s health and fitness. Destiny Senior Care knows that all these pursuits must be integrated. We ensure this through our Custom Care Plan that is drawn up for our seniors.
“It is in his pleasure that a man really lives; it is from his leisure that he constructs the true fabric of self.” – Agnes Repplier
Opportunities for Senior Outings
At Destiny Senior Care, we look for opportunities for outings to shopping areas, parks, restaurants, apple orchards, art classes and other venues in Orland Park, Naperville, Aurora, Darien, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn and other communities.
Here at Destiny, we take our seniors on individual outings. But at times we take them on common outings so that there is an opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy one another’s company. This is one of the benefits of working with an agency that is flexible enough to schedule such activities.
Here are possibilities for outings that we at Destiny Senior Care may consider:
- Active games and sports
- Dancing, karaoke, and other performance arts
- Parties and other social gatherings
- Traditional games and puzzles
- Trips to nature centers
- Gardening, bird-watching, and other outdoor pastimes
- Arts and crafts
- Art shows
- Trips to museums
- Talks given in libraries
- Church socials and talks
- City-sponsored senior recreation programs
- Concerts in the park
- Historic log cabins
“Leisure should be a time to think new thoughts, not ponder old ills.” – Neil Strait
What are your thoughts of beginning a home care service for your senior with such activities as part of their Custom Care Plan?
To find out if Destiny Senior Care can meet your needs, call us at the number at the top of this page, or fill out the form on our contact page, or click here to set up a phone appointment.
