Planning a Multigenerational Care Experience for Space Exploration Day

By Robert D. Liken CPC, CTS, President

July 13, 2016

Caregivers in Monroeville PA

Caregivers in Monroeville PA
Being a member of the sandwich generation means that you get the special opportunity to spend more quality time with your aging parent as well as with your children. Through multigenerational care efforts and experiences you can maximize the time that you have to care for both generations and encourage them to spend more time together, benefitting each other and enjoying a higher quality of life. Children who spend more time with their aging grandparents are likely to have a greater appreciation for their family, their culture, and their history, as well as gain character in terms of patience, tolerance, and compassion. Seniors who spend more time with their grandchildren are likely to feel more energetic, happier, and more fulfilled, and can learn about technology and the world around them from a unique perspective, enabling them to be more active and engaged.
For you, planning activities that you can all do together means that you do not have to find ways to divide your time among everyone who relies on you and can instead focus your energy and effort on giving the best quality care to each person.
July 20 is Space Exploration Day. This is a fun chance for you to plan activities that bring your parent and children together to learn, express themselves, and make memories. If you have more than one child, their ages are very different, or your aging parent has marked needs and challenges, consider involving an elder care provider in your experience. This care provider can provide personalized care to your aging parent while you focus on your children, ensuring that everyone stays safe and healthy, and has fun throughout the experience.
Let these ideas inspire you to come up with beneficial and enjoyable ways to make Space Exploration Day a fun multigenerational experience for your parent and your children:

  • Do some research. Research does not have to be dull and boring. Learning new things together can be exciting and extremely beneficial to their minds. Encourage your parent and children to engage in research that is appropriate to their age and capabilities. This can mean reading books, going online, or even visiting a planetarium together.
  • Make crafts. Doing crafts is a classic form of mental stimulation for aging adults, but it can also be extremely beneficial and meaningful for children. Arts and crafts are a way for children and adults alike to express themselves and experiment with showing off their personality and individuality in meaningful, structured ways. Come up with crafts that are right for the ages and skill levels of those involved, or offer several different options that they can choose from.
  • Stargaze. Your family may not actually be able to head up into space to explore, but you can pretend with some stargazing. Find a location that has as little light pollution as possible and set yourself up for an evening of gazing up at the night sky and seeing what you can discover. This is a fantastic opportunity for your children and parent to use what they learned in their research to identify celestial bodies and educate you on their new knowledge. This will give all of them an emotional boost and make their minds sharper and stronger.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in Pittsburgh, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Liken Home Care.  Call (412) 693-6820 or (855) 856-0551