A popular division of Coordinated Seniors Services is our ongoing travel and day trip packages. This program is greatly appreciated by the people we serve, and activities are planned based on their input and recommendations.
The trips provide an opportunity to enjoy one another’s company in a new environment, and to have fun together. Our seniors tell us that it is reassuring to be with people who know them and their needs, who can assist them with personal care as required, and who understand their mobility issues.
These trips give all of us a chance to expand our horizons, and have a break from daily routine. A big part of the fun is planning, having something to look forward to and feel excited about. We’ve toured on a train, shopped ‘till we dropped and spent some time while tasting wine. We have had wonderful times enjoying the beauty of fall colours on a scenic drive, feeling the cool breezes off the water on a slow moving pontoon, and singing along at wonderful theatre productions.
Family members and friends are welcome to join in the fun, but they also participate vicariously as we know that the day trips become a major conversation topic. In fact, many of our seniors attend a trip with us because they have been the recipient of a gift certificate from a family member.
Beyond the fun, travel offers older adults many benefits. Fresh air and sunshine are good for the soul as well as the body, and walking and movement improve cardiac health. There are also social benefits for seniors, and many of our travelers forge friendships that continue long after the excursion ends.
While joyful activities are proven to boost energy, there is also evidence that they improve sleep, reducing insomnia and increasing the amount of restorative REM sleep.
Taking a break from your usual routine is an incredible strategy for reducing stress and relief from the symptoms that are stress produced.
But by far, the most important reason to participate in a day trip is that its just FUN!!! After all, the great George Bernard Shaw observed that “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”