There are so many things to enjoy in life that it can be a challenge to narrow down the options. If the patient for whom you provide elderly care has any affinity for art, then they may be interested in visiting a gallery or two this month.
August is warm, the sun is shining, the days are still long, and it can be refreshing to step into the comfort of a nicely balanced art gallery. It’s also American Artists Appreciation Month, which makes this the perfect time to add a visit to a gallery on your list of things to do with the elderly individual.
For some elder care providers, it can be challenging to find things of interest to do with the patient. The individual may not feel that they can do any of the things that they used to do. They may believe that they are relegated to their home and that’s the way things are now. It’s a tragedy when you think of it in those terms, but one that you can erase with the right focus and some creativity.
First of all, throughout most communities – from small towns to big cities – throughout the United States, there are numerous art galleries all across the country. Depending on where you live, there may be certain types of art or artists that garner the most attention. Local, famed or semi-famous artists may generally get the lion’s share of attention from these galleries, and while you may not view the art that they create the same way that the gallery, or the elderly patient, does, there are generally many benefits to visiting different galleries.
If the patient has a favorite artist that he or she would love to see their original works, then you may want to search around to see if any galleries within a decent driving distance have anything currently or coming up. While it may be American Artists Appreciation Month, that doesn’t mean you have to forego a trip to an art gallery if they are only highlighting the work of someone from another country.
Art can touch different people in vastly different ways and appreciating it in all of its forms is one wonderful way to improve elderly care. If the patient doesn’t have any interest in visiting a gallery, though, then this is an idea that will more likely fall on deaf ears, with a thud, and is better left alone. For the rest of us, why not mention it as a possible activity to get out of the house?