Home Care Outings: Visiting a Science Museum!
Home Care in Grand Rapids MI
Going on outings is a great way for your parents to get even more benefit from their home care journey. Whether they are going with you, with their in home health care services provider, or both, these adventures offer mental stimulation, support better emotional health and cognitive functioning, and encourage extra physical activity in their regular lives. Shaking up their routine with a visit to the local science museum gives your parents a chance to get out of the house and enjoy social interaction and physical activity, but also stimulates their minds with new concepts and sensory stimulation for stronger mental and cognitive health.
As with any plans that you make in your home care journey with your elderly loved ones, making sure that their trip to the science museum is fun, healthy, and safe are important considerations. You want to ensure that this adventure is an enhancement of your care routine, which means following through with your usual care goals and efforts even while enjoying the novelty and change of pace of the museum.
Use these tips, and share them with your parents and their in home health care services provider, to plan a successful and enjoyable trip to the science museum:
- Research accessibility. Before you go, get in touch with the museum or visit their website to find out about accessibility features of the museum. Make sure that they have the correct measures in place to ensure your parents can properly enter and move through the museum, utilizing their restroom facilities as well as exhibits and experiences that you would like them to be a part of. If there are limitations, make sure that you go over them with your parents so that you can choose alternative activities within the museum. This may be an opportunity for both you and the care provider to attend the outing so that you can split off and bring seniors of different capabilities to different areas of the museum as necessary.
- Pick your interests. Many sciences museums are very large and offer a wide variety of exhibits and activities for those who visit. This is a wonderful thing because it means you can fill an entire day with your visit, but it can also be overwhelming. Before you go, go over the available exhibits with your parents and pick out the things that you think everyone would enjoy the most. Look for a map on the website that shows you where everything is located and devise a strategy for how you will move through the museum together. While you are at the museum, encourage plenty of participation. Most science museums are designed for hands-on experimentation, so encourage your parents to get in there and have fun.
- Pack effectively. Anytime that you are away from home with your loved ones you want to make sure that you have everything that you might need to ensure that they are comfortable, safe, and healthy. This means packing a day bag with any medications that they might need to take along the way, including over the counter remedies, non-perishable snacks, water bottles, and even an extra set of clothing just in case something spills.
Be aware that many museums do not allow food and beverages inside, so you will need to leave them in the car. If you would rather make the trip even more adventurous, look for a snack bar or restaurant inside the museum that you can enjoy together.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional home care in Grand Rapids MI, please contact the caring staff at (616) 258-2300.
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