Summer Activities For The Elderly

Indoor Activities for the Elderly Can Be Fun!!! Living in Arizona in the summertime can be a challenge, especially for the elderly. The record high temperatures seem to soar daily, making it hard to get outside the house to do anything fun, or even just run normal errands.

A lot of people find themselves staying indoors during the hot summer months. This can make anyone feel a little cooped up or restricted in things they want or need to do.

The elderly are already so limited in what they can do, especially if they live in an assisted living home already. So we work hard to make this season a fun time, inside the home.

Here are some of the fun activities and parties we have enjoyed over the years to help enrich our residents lives and their families. We always work to have something they can look forward to. We have been doing these parties and activities for years, and they are always a huge hit. Brian, owner, is our party man and really puts on a show for each of these events.

May

*Cinco De Mayo party- We really spice things up with our Mexican themed party. This specific party is during lunch time. The residents enjoy a delicious authentic Mexican meal cooked by one of our caregivers, listen to exciting music from Mexico and each wear sombreros. We decorate the home with red, white and green streamers like their flag and really have a fun time celebrating that part of the world.

June

*Hawaiian Party- Aloha! This is one of our favorite annual parties. We dress up the residents in luau attire with leis, flowers in their hair, and colorful clothing. We hire a Hawaiian group to come in and hula for us. The dancers wear traditional Hawaiian attire, play beautiful music, and teach us some simple dance moves that even the residents can do. After the festivities the residents are fed a traditional Hawaiian inspired meal.

July

*4th of July party- God bless the USA! The focus is all about red, white, and blue! We have a program focusing on the beautiful and wonderful things about America, our freedom, and why we love our country. During the program we have a family with 5 children come in who do musical performances and sing alongs with the residents. We also have a large flag that we stretch out and wave while we sing America songs. Then a handful of residents come outside on the covered patio as Brian lights off some fireworks to end the party with a BANG! After the festivities and fireworks, the residents are fed an All-American meal of hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and more.

*Cowboy party- Howdy partner! Time to round everyone up to join the fun! The residents are dressed up with fake mustaches, cowboy hats and bandanas as they participate in a shooting range, cowboy musical performances and games. We bring in all the trees and greenery from all around the house and a fake log fireplace to make it feel more like a forest and really create the environment in the main room. After the party, the residents enjoy a special ‘chuck wagon dinner’ under a handmade chuck wagon built over the table

August

*Cruise party- Come along as we dive into the magic of a Caribbean cruise. This party consists of each resident being dressed up in colorful cruise clothes, ya know, the big flowered button up shirts? Yep, everyone gets one. We play cruise games and get to experience what a cruise is like. We show a presentation of videos and pictures of a cruise Brian and Julie went on in 2016 to really give the residents a feel. It is really fun for the residents to experience what it was like on the boat, in the water, and even some of the foods. To make it really authentic, Brian specifically plans weeks in advance to start laying out in the sun to have a tan or sunburn for this party, even from his scuba mask! So watch out for Brian in his American flag speedo, hairy legs, and scuba gear!

These are just a handful of the fun things we do during the summer while inside to help enrich the people’s lives in our home. We love what we do and the friends we serve daily. We hope you enjoy your summer and stay cool.