Movies are a wonderful way to spend quality time with your family enjoying a relaxed and casual activity. Unfortunately, going to the movies can be an incredible challenge if you are an elder care provider for an aging loved one. Mobility issues and cognitive challenges can make it difficult for you to navigate going to the theater to watch a movie without hardships. Your aging loved one may not be able to actually get into the theater and to a seat safely, may not like the darkness or the loud sound of the movie, or may need to get up frequently to use the restroom or simply move around. All this can be a major disruption in a movie theater. All of this, not to mention the incredible cost associated with bringing an entire family to the movies, can make the outing more stressful than fun. Fortunately, you can still make movies a part of your elder care by hosting your own family movie night.
Hosting a family movie night does not have to be a difficult or expensive undertaking. As long as you have the machinery to play a movie, and a few snacks, you have what you need to create a fun elder care activity the entire family will enjoy. If you would like to be creative, however, there are many ways that you can further the theme of a family movie night right in your own home.
Here are some tips for hosting a family movie night that your family will want to make a regular tradition:
- Use poster board and markers to create signs that say things like Concession Stand, Ticket Booth, and Theater. Post these around your home to direct your moviegoers to where they need to go.
- Use small pieces of paper to create tickets for the movies. This is a fun way to have your family vote on which movie to watch. Set out several different options and ask your family to “buy” tickets to the movie that they would like to see. Count up the tickets and use this to determine which movie to show.
- Prepare movie snacks ahead of time and have them ready at the Concession Stand. This can include popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs, and individual drinks. For an extra dose of movie theater fun, purchase popcorn flavoring sprinkles and set them out so each member of your family can personalize his bucket of popcorn.
- Lower the lights in the room where you will show the movie. Make sure you keep lights on in other areas of the home so that if anyone needs to get up and use the restroom or get a new snack it is easy and safe to navigate the space.
If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care services in San Ramon, CA contact the caregivers at Hillendale Home Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (925) 948-8280 for more information.
