Field Trip Highlights
We had a busy spring at Pleasantries, filled with lots of activities and field trips! From visits to Tower Hill Botanic Garden and the Fitchburg Art Museum to musical performances, we’ve been all over Greater Worcester and the Metrowest region.
At Pleasantries Adult Day Services, we’re committed to programming that keeps our guests as engaged, connected and independent as possible. Providing daily cognitive and physical stimulation is the cornerstone of our program, and interactive, social activities have a fantastic, positive impact on our guests’ minds and spirits . One of the main differences between an adult day services program, like Pleasantries, and typical at-home caregiving options is our ability to engage with guests through social interactions and other activities that may be too daunting for a single caregiver, such as the field trips we love taking with the help of our incredible staff!
Here are some of the recent highlights...
Art Therapy
We are firm believers in the benefits of art therapy for those with memory loss and cognitive impairment and were thrilled when the Fitchburg Art Museum established their Hidden Treasures program, which we visited at the end of April. Hidden Treasures is a specialized art appreciation program for individuals with middle-stage Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, developed by the museum in collaboration with Life Care Centers of America, The Highlands. The adaptive art education is focused on communication techniques geared towards those with memory loss, like our guests at Pleasantries, that encourage participation and help those in attendance feel valued and understood.
Art is a great means of self expression, whether you are creating your own art projects or discussing those in front of you. Each visit to Hidden Treasures is focused on different themes and pieces of art, and include interactive discussions led by specially trained museum staff. This is an incredible program designed with so much love and care, and we highly recommend a visit to the Fitchburg Art Museum for all of those caring for a loved one with cognitive impairment.
Musical Therapy
Music has the unique ability to connect us socially, spark conversation and help to trigger old, fond memories. Music is a staple at our Pleasantries home. We frequently host outside entertainers and take field trips to musical performances within the community. We listen to music and hold sing-a-longs while eating meals at Pleasantries, and in recent months, brought brown-bag lunches offsite to enjoy performances at, Hudson Daybreak Program and the Northborough Free Library.
We especially love the Northborough Free Library’s Apple Memory Cafes, where our guests and staff have the opportunity to visit with and share their experiences with others dealing with memory loss within our community. Similar to Hidden Treasures, here our guests are engaged in a social and supportive entertainment experience, most recently featuring local harpist, Shelley Otis! Through it all, music is a common denominator that brings us a sense of joy and togetherness.
Nature Therapy
Getting outside always puts a smile on our faces — we love the sights and scents of nature, to feel the sun and take in the fresh air! Now that the weather has warmed up, we’ve added more outdoor activities to our programming at Pleasantries, in addition to our daily walks around our lakefront neighborhood. We’ve been visiting the Tower Hill Botanic Garden on a bi-weekly basis and most recently got to see all of the spring tulips in full bloom! Similar to music and art, the fresh smells of nature have the power to resurface fond memories of past experiences. Not only are our visits to the botanic garden engaging, but we leave feeling completely rejuvenated and refreshed.
As the weather continues to warm and spring rain subsides, we’re looking forward to even more field trips and opportunities for our guests and staff to get outdoors and experience all that our incredible community has to offer. Confinement and loneliness often plague those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and memory loss, as well as those caring for them. At Pleasantries, our committed staff members are able to minimize the confines through safe and supportive activities and adventures that expand the daily experience.
Interested in learning more about how art, music and nature experiences can help your loved one? Learn more about our programming here or give us a call at (508) 481-0809 to personally speak with our staff members.