1. < Just Want to Talk

Motivation to Get Out and About

Posted by Errol, Alumni Mentor @duvie, Mar 16, 2018

Hello Everyone,
There are many reasons why someone has less of a desire to get out of the house for a well deserved outing if only to enjoy the day.
Maybe seeing loved ones that they don't get to see as often as they would like. Maybe fishing, visit to local park, take in a movie,
whatever suits their needs to get some relief from the depression, if only for a few hours.

Perhaps it's the constant pain, feeling exhausted, worrying about bathroom availability, being on oxygen, weight gain/loss, needing wheelchair, or scooter.
I would like to hear from others how they are able to help motivate their patient or loved one to enjoy some of the life they still have.
No one knows when the lord will call so we need to take advantage of the remaining time.

How do YOU help with motivation? What activity can YOU suggest that may encourage someone to do something to make the day more enjoyable than staying home?

I know there must be some patients as well as some caregivers that could use time away from home.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

Errol, Alumni Mentor | @duvie | Mar 22, 2018
In reply to @duvie "Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of..." + (show)
@duvie

Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of the house if just to enjoy the day.
Probably wouldn't have gone to any extra places if not having to get dressed for a Dr's visit.
After the Dr visit we went to a local mall here in the New Orleans area where they have another location for the Cafe Du Monde.
The Cafe Du Monde is a famous place in the French Quarter by the river caty corner from Jackson Square where visitors can sit and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee with an order of Beignets. Beignets are considered a type of rectangular doughnut served long ago with powdered sugar.
I never know why it always seems to happen, but when we get around the white powdered sugar we are both wearing black, lol.
Not a good combination when it's hard to keep the powdered sugar from getting on your clothes, HaHaHa. Guess that's why we have washer & dryers.
We both left our phones at home in a rush to get to the Drs so no pictures to show the nurse.

However, we stopped at the house, picked up our phones and headed to the little "Town of Lafitte" closer to the gulf named after the famous local pirate, "Jean Lafitte" who helped Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans by supplying cannons, ammo, black powder, and men to help defeat the British. It's only a short distance away and we went there to see a new Fisheries Market Pavilion recently built complete with a small covered dock.
We parked in a handicapped parking in space with a sign that read, but it was a strange outing with nothing going in our favor.

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Hello @johnbishop, WOW, you did a nice job and it didn't seem to rake you long. I'm wondering if more of my pictures will do the same thing since taken with my phone. Thanks for all your efforts!!!!

REPLY
Brightwings AKA Cute Susie | @brightwings | Mar 22, 2018
In reply to @duvie "Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of..." + (show)
@duvie

Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of the house if just to enjoy the day.
Probably wouldn't have gone to any extra places if not having to get dressed for a Dr's visit.
After the Dr visit we went to a local mall here in the New Orleans area where they have another location for the Cafe Du Monde.
The Cafe Du Monde is a famous place in the French Quarter by the river caty corner from Jackson Square where visitors can sit and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee with an order of Beignets. Beignets are considered a type of rectangular doughnut served long ago with powdered sugar.
I never know why it always seems to happen, but when we get around the white powdered sugar we are both wearing black, lol.
Not a good combination when it's hard to keep the powdered sugar from getting on your clothes, HaHaHa. Guess that's why we have washer & dryers.
We both left our phones at home in a rush to get to the Drs so no pictures to show the nurse.

However, we stopped at the house, picked up our phones and headed to the little "Town of Lafitte" closer to the gulf named after the famous local pirate, "Jean Lafitte" who helped Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans by supplying cannons, ammo, black powder, and men to help defeat the British. It's only a short distance away and we went there to see a new Fisheries Market Pavilion recently built complete with a small covered dock.
We parked in a handicapped parking in space with a sign that read, but it was a strange outing with nothing going in our favor.

Jump to this post

Oh my, Cafe Du Monde. Yum. My daughter lIves in NOLA. I ALWAYS HAVE TO GO THERE FOR THE COFFEE AND BEIGNETS. SO GOOD!

REPLY
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Mar 22, 2018
In reply to @duvie "Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of..." + (show)
@duvie

Hello Everyone, The home health nurse has been trying to encourage Lilbit to get out of the house if just to enjoy the day.
Probably wouldn't have gone to any extra places if not having to get dressed for a Dr's visit.
After the Dr visit we went to a local mall here in the New Orleans area where they have another location for the Cafe Du Monde.
The Cafe Du Monde is a famous place in the French Quarter by the river caty corner from Jackson Square where visitors can sit and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee with an order of Beignets. Beignets are considered a type of rectangular doughnut served long ago with powdered sugar.
I never know why it always seems to happen, but when we get around the white powdered sugar we are both wearing black, lol.
Not a good combination when it's hard to keep the powdered sugar from getting on your clothes, HaHaHa. Guess that's why we have washer & dryers.
We both left our phones at home in a rush to get to the Drs so no pictures to show the nurse.

However, we stopped at the house, picked up our phones and headed to the little "Town of Lafitte" closer to the gulf named after the famous local pirate, "Jean Lafitte" who helped Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans by supplying cannons, ammo, black powder, and men to help defeat the British. It's only a short distance away and we went there to see a new Fisheries Market Pavilion recently built complete with a small covered dock.
We parked in a handicapped parking in space with a sign that read, but it was a strange outing with nothing going in our favor.

Jump to this post

Hi @duvie -- glad I could help. It's really not too hard to do. If an old geezer like me can do it, I'll bet you can too. If you have a Windows computer it comes with a neglected program that you can use to crop and resize images. Here's a short YouTube video how to:

-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtlG-FIUaFY

John
P.S. - The little used program is Microsoft Paint

REPLY
Errol, Alumni Mentor | @duvie | Mar 23, 2018
In reply to @stressedmesseddepressed ""Chunk it down!" Pick any goal (walking around the block; cleaning the dishes in the sink,..." + (show)
@stressedmesseddepressed

"Chunk it down!" Pick any goal (walking around the block; cleaning the dishes in the sink, etc.) and just do it for 5 minutes, just 5. Then you will have some sense of accomplishment and then see if you can do another 5 minutes only, and if can, before you know it, you've accomplished something. Even if small, it's an accomplishment nonetheless!! Feel better!!

Jump to this post

Hello @shoregal45, Yes, getting little things done can be very hard when someone is in pain, nauseated, fever, and just feeling sick or exhausted. It can surely pile up quickly but each thing done can be an accomplishment. Climbing Mt. Everest has never been achieved in a day. Thanks for responding.

REPLY
Errol, Alumni Mentor | @duvie | Mar 23, 2018
In reply to @colleenyoung "Great topic to start, @duvie. I added it to the Caregivers group too, and would like..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Great topic to start, @duvie. I added it to the Caregivers group too, and would like to tag @IndianaScott @harriethodgson1 @shirleymac and @camussen to join this conversation on encouraging your loved one to get out and about. Caring for someone often means being isolated indoors.

Jump to this post

Hello @colleenyoung, Thanks for the kind words and expanding this topic to other groups as well as tagging other members.
Sometimes we may get to the point to where we feel much more comfortable and safer staying home where meds and medical equipment are within reach. Knowing the bathroom is close by as well as a bed to lay on if needed can be reassuring.

Sometimes someone's conditions may cause shortness of breath, pain, allergies, or anxiety which makes it undesirable to get up and go somewhere. Patients may feel much better having family and friends come to them instead of leaving the house.

However, sometimes if the weather is nice it could be very pleasing and beneficial to get out into fresh air and feeling the sun's rays.
I am finding out that, as a caregiver, planning is key to providing a safer more satisfying trip. Possibly purchasing a small pill box for certain meds, Kleenex, water, fast acting inhaler, oxygen meter, nebulixer with a DC battery converter to AC can be very helpful in keeping the patient mentally comfortable. Being patient and considerate to the patient's feelings and needs relaxes the patient making for a more comfortable outing. Having a to-go-bag that I can grab and run makes planning much easier.

We all need to get out and feel the sunshine sometimes.

REPLY
littleonefmohio | @littleonefmohio | Apr 4, 2018

@duvie I have problems getting out also but I do it. I went to a therapist for a short period who told me doing a little at a time of anything will help. Short trip around the block once a week to look at animals or flower or just houses. Take a short walk and make it longer each day or couple days. All that is great but when it is cold I hibernate all I can. the cold hurts and takes my breath away so i rarely go out in the winter. In the summer I do try and venture out a little more but not as much as I should. Like I said before home is my safe place. Anxiety rules with me I guess. I do FORCE myself to leave the house when my ex starts his griping all the time. haha I guess if someone does that all the time that will make you leave for awhile but I don't go far or I go be with my sister which is close. I won't stay gone long because my safe house calls me home.

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