Low-Budget Fun for Seniors
by Dorie U. Sugay

For most seniors, the summer is when they enjoy themselves more. It is not too cold to go out, and some don’t even mind the high heat sometimes. Of course, they also enjoy this time of the year because grandchildren are out of school and there are more relaxed family visits. While I think that we all should help our seniors enjoy life more all year round, the summer is – hands down – the best time of the year for them.

So where can you take that special senior in your life? (For that matter, if you are alone –where can you take YOU…after all, you are special too). Below are some ideas that won’t break the bank.

Syngenta (formerly Goldsmith Seeds) is one of my favorite places. Their landscaping boasts of the “supermodels of flowers.” They even have a gazebo structure where you can have a picnic. Their pond, full of colorful fish gliding through water so gracefully is truly calming. Our very own local architect extraordinaire Karen Bernosky designed this place for everyone (even those with walkers and on wheelchairs).

Does Mom or Dad love books? Authors go on tour to promote their book. Be on the lookout for author readings or book signings locally. They may even enjoy joining a book club or discussion group. We have a client who told me when I first met him, “I am bored stiff – I need intellectual stimulation.” Many people forget that many of our seniors had very challenging stimulating lives. They may not be able to physically do the same things but their minds can still be very sharp. Get a book on tape, a pitcher of tea and enjoy both in the patio or a nearby park!

Did you know that a big cut of the politically involved are seniors? Let them get passionate and “dangerous” It’s good for their heart.

For the mental warriors, there is a national movement of “Socrates Cafes” (whose members use the Socratic method to discuss important issues). Their website is www.philosopher.org/en/Socrates_Cafe.html. There isn’t a group yet in this area but hey, what’s stopping you from helping Mom start a small one? Or how about taking Mom or Dad for a stimulating “Lunch with Leaders” in Hollister every 3rd Wednesday of the month, or even one of those Health Talks at St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy.

The family could take a trip to gallery openings, which usually have hors d’ oeuvres and provide opportunity to support local artists and meet local people.

Some museums offer free admission a night a week. Those can be fun for your senior to share with grandchildren!

Grab a chair on Friday nights and trust your interest-o-meter: there is Gilroy’s Fifth Street Live Music on Fridays from 7-9pm, Morgan Hill’s Friday Night Summer Concert Series, now at the Community and Cultural Center Amphitheatre or check out Hollister’s Guerra Vineyards concerts. Children are welcome and dancing is encouraged (dancing like a pogo stick is acceptable for those under 10 and might be rather entertaining for grandma).

If Mom or Dad can stay up, our local wineries have fun events. This August, Jason Stephens and Clos La Chance on Watsonville Road in Gilroy have free admissions to events that they may enjoy. Check out their websites. Noon to 4:30 pm Labor Day weekend, Solis Winery on Hecker Pass Highway in Gilroy has “Sirah and Sausage,” also for free if they buy a bottle of their mouth-feasting wine, If you all go Monday, the Dixieland Jazz band will be playing!

If Mom and Dad just want to take a drive, how about a home tour. Mom and Dad might actually enjoy checking out how the area has changed. (And if they don’t like seeing new multi-million dollar homes dominating the fields where grapes used to grow, quickly switch to plan B and drive up Highway 152 towards Mt. Madonna).

That Mom can no longer play tennis like she used to, or Dad can no longer parole the area on foot like he did when he was a Sheriff should not stop you from encouraging them to do things with you (or their caregiver). They may even tell you that they don’t want to do anything but remember – they change their minds too and sometimes they refuse to do anything because they don’t want to be a burden, or they are worried they would fall or that it might get too cold, etc. Don’t get discouraged. Be prepared (a sweater or a blanket in the car helps remove fears of getting a cold for example), be creative, but most of all, when you are with them, be truly there with them. In the end, it isn’t what they are doing or where they are that matters, it is who they are with and being with people they love who are “truly present” is what they enjoy the most.

Disclaimer:

This article is for informational purpose only. The ideas and opinions in this article are that of the author’s and not from Visiting Angels or the magazine.

Source:

The author and Google.

	~Dorie Sugay is the Executive Director of Visiting Angels, providing living assistance services to the Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. You can reach her at dorie@visitingangels.com