Senior Outing Ideas: Finding the Right Places to Visit
A recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that Americans over the age of 60 spend about 7 hours every day—or more than 50% of their waking hours—alone.
The same study suggested that being alone for that long can lead to feelings of social isolation for many seniors. In some cases, it can even take a toll on their physical health.
Do you have a special senior in your life who could benefit from getting out into the world more? Here are a few senior outing ideas that you can put to the test so that they're not always cooped up inside their homes.
Visit a Senior Community Center
According to the National Council on Aging, there are about 10,000 senior community centers in the U.S. right now. They serve about 1 million older adults.
If there is a senior community center in your city or town, see if your loved one has any interest in checking it out. These centers often allow older Americans to play games with their fellow seniors, take classes, and so much more.
This is one of the best senior outing ideas because it's an idea you can go back to again and again. The NCOA reports that about 75% of the people who visit senior community centers spend anywhere from one to three days there per week.
Take a Trip to a Park
Studies have shown that about one-third of older Americans aren't active enough. And a lack of activity can, unfortunately, have an impact on everything from a senior's heart health to their memory.
There are all kinds of senior outing ideas that you can use to increase your loved one's activity while also helping them get out of the house. Taking a trip to the park, for example, is one of the most fun things to do with seniors.
Your loved one can walk around at the park and get some much-needed exercise. They can also check out all of the sights and sounds that will surround them at the park.
Regardless of what you choose to do with them at the park, they'll benefit from all the fresh air and sunshine that they get immensely. These things can:
Help them sleep better at night
Improve their cognitive function
Make them feel calmer and more at peace
They can also help a senior feel happier overall when they get access to them on a regular basis.
Browse Around Inside a Museum
While it's a great idea to encourage your loved one to exercise their body whenever possible, it's also important to push them to exercise their minds. What better way to do it than by visiting one of the roughly 35,000 museums in this country?
Whether your loved one enjoys art, history, natural science, music, or technology, there is truly a museum for everyone out there. They'll have a blast learning about new things while they're making their way through one.
Just make sure you choose a museum that can cater to their needs as far as accessibility is concerned. If they have any mobility issues, you'll need to find one that can accommodate those who use wheelchairs and walkers.
Start Putting These Senior Outing Ideas to Good Use
Senior outings have a way of making older Americans feel young again. They allow seniors to get out and experience the world while interacting with other people and feeling more of a connection to their community.
Help the special senior in your life get out more by taking advantage of the senior outing ideas listed here. You can also hire a home health aide for them who can make sure that they're getting out enough and not spending all day sitting at home alone.
Learn more about our caregivers and find out how they can help your loved one.
