American Artists Appreciation Month

As a family caregiver you are likely always looking for ways that you can stimulate your elderly parent’s mind and encourage them to live a more engaged, active lifestyle. August is American Artists Appreciation Month. This is a perfect opportunity for you to plan activities and experiences that utilize the appreciation of art to connect with your elderly parent and help them live healthier and happier as they age in place.

Let these ideas inspire you for beneficial and meaningful ways to celebrate American Artists Appreciation Month: 

• Visit an art museum. Research your parent’s area and find art museums that highlight American artists. Plan a morning or afternoon to visit one of these museums and enjoy exploring the galleries together. Discuss the pieces in a way that allows your parent to express their thoughts and feelings regarding the art, and share your own thoughts. Do not feel limited to just paintings. Visit galleries that exhibit photography, sculptures, and other forms of art as well.

• Research artists. Further stimulate your parent’s mind by choosing an artist and doing some research on that artist’s life and work. Look for an artist that was born or worked in the area close to your parent and consider visiting historical places of interest that involve that artist. Remember to look beyond just the most celebrated of contemporary artists and think of folk artists, outsiders, and performance artists as well.

• Get artsy together. Once you are inspired by the art and artists that you research and explore together, encourage your aging parent to try their hand at some of these art techniques. Talk about the types of art that your parent enjoys looking at the most and go shopping together to purchase materials to create your own pieces of art. Work together to develop pieces that express your parent’s personality, individuality, and perspective. This is not only fantastic for their mental and emotional health, but it can also help them to maintain better physical health as well. Particularly if they are experimenting with visual arts such as sculpting with clay, these activities can help to improve joint health in their hands, providing reduced pain and stiffness and encouraging better range of motion.

If you have been looking for ways to encourage your elderly parent to have more mental and physical activity as they age in place, senior care may be the ideal solution. Having a senior home care services provider in the home with your loved one can give them greater independence and offer them the support, assistance, and resources that they need to live a more active and engaged lifestyle while still managing their personal needs and limitations. Through a personalized approach to their care and services such as reliable transportation, this senior care provider can help your parent to get out of the house, engage in more activities, and experience a more fulfilling life throughout their later years. This can mean planning outings, enjoying activities together, and exploring interests that encourage your parent to keep their mind sharper and their body healthier.