Seven Senior Tips For Summer

We are enjoying the happy stretch of summer - endless weeks of lazy, hazy days loll out ahead, with not much to do but relax, hang out and have fun. For older adults, the summer months can hold just as much promise as the days of our youth. Daylight hours last longer; getting around is generally easier; flu season is done and gone; there tend to be more family events to attend. Vitality abounds!

The catch for older folks is: summer doesn’t seem quite so endless. In fact, as with everything else in life, there are some years when you blink and you can completely miss the whole season. Enter the summer bucket list, a great way to make the most of your summertime experiences. We love the idea of seniors filling theirs with their favorite summer activities. Here are some of our suggestions to get the ball rolling.

· Attend a baseball game: It doesn’t have to be a Brewers game. In fact, supporting a local minor league or even a little league team might be just as much fun and more easily accessible for a senior.

· Take a water class: These are great, low-impact ways for seniors to get some exercise, beat the heat and maybe learn some new moves.

· Soak up some culture: Many museums are quite accessible and have a/c.

· Grab a cone: Nothing says summer like ordering a scoop at the walkup window, then taking a seat on the picnic benches to polish it off (just make sure to get about a thousand of those thin paper mini-napkins, you will probably need them!)

· Have a movie date: Save this one for a hot day when you will appreciate sitting in a freezing cold theatre for a few hours. I’ll See You in My Dreams is a Blythe Danner film about a septuagenarian getting a new lease on life, while Love and Mercy, the Brian Wilson biopic, might be just the ticket for a Beach Boys lover. Alternatively, a regular night with Netflix (possibly to watch Grace and Frankie) is always fun.

· Start a book group: Even if it only has one or two members. The Day We Met is a critically lauded poignant read about early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Dine Al Fresco: If a picnic is out of the question, a lovely dinner on a porch or balcony works just as well. Visit caregiverstress.com to download the “Mind, Body, Spirit” booklet or contact us at 414-882-5464.