Gone Fishin’!

A summer day fishing trip to Banning Park in Wilmington provided a lot of fun — and a special therapeutic opportunity — for clients and staff from the Christiana Care Adult Day Program.

The Adult Day Program, located in North Wilmington, provides a safe, caring home away from home for seniors or other individuals who may be limited due to age or illness. The program also provides family caregivers with some time to themselves, to get things done or just take a break and recharge.

The program members released all the fish but did bring home good feelings and a rich experience. To make the trip even more interesting and add to the fun, the clients formed competitive teams — the women against the men.

“It is important to have a well-defined philosophy underpinning a therapeutic activity program,” said Gayle Pennington, MS, MA, NCC, program director of the Adult Day Program. “When our seven disabled older adults went on this trip to fish, socialize and enjoy a picnic lunch, we were using the Best Friends Approach to creating a person-centered model of integrated care.”

Pennington said that therapeutic activities in the program reflect everyday life as much as possible, including opportunities to build new skills and engage in regular community outings and field trips.

A good catch: Therapeutic benefits of Adult Day Program outings

• Stimulating cognitive processes, including decision-making and creative thinking.
• Increasing recognition of environmental stimuli.
• Exercising large and fine motor skills.
• Enhancing self-esteem by providing novel opportunities and a sense of accomplishment.
• Promoting socialization, group cohesiveness and team spirit.
• Connecting to the community