Planning the perfect day trip or outing for your care home residents is not always as straightforward as you might imagine. The more you plan and think about how you are going to handle anything unexpected that might crop up, the better prepared you will be, and the smoother the trip will run on the day. The ideal way to plan is to sort the bigger decisions first about where you are going to go, when and how you are going to get there. Then, add in the details, making sure you cover all the bases.
Using Care Vision’s planning software to check off all your jobs and allocate people to each task is a great way to make sure that nothing gets missed off the list. Here are some key areas to focus on when arranging your next care home outing.
Transport and route
The day trip begins as soon as you pull away from the care home in whatever transport you choose. This could be your own minibus, MPV or cars, or taxis or a coach that you hire for the day. Always ensure that you have transport that is large enough to carry everyone who is attending – staff and residents – and is comfortable and easy for people to get in and out of.
If you need to take public transport for all or part of the journey, work out the timings well in advance and leave plenty of time to catch trains or buses. Where possible, book seats in advance so that people know where they will be sitting and will not feel anxious over whether or not there will be enough room.
Food and drink
When travelling in a large group, it can be tricky to find food and drink that suits everyone. People have different tastes, opinions, allergy and medical needs, religious requirements etc. This is relevant both for preparing picnics or packed lunches to take with you, or when it comes to booking a restaurant at your destination.
Care Vision’s personal records and nutritional monitoring tools can really come in handy for this part of the planning. Take a look at the records of everyone going on the trip and see where there is common ground between people. You might need to offer a few choices to cater for everyone, but by narrowing the options down in advance, this becomes far easier to handle on the day.
Things to see and do
Again, planning ahead is key when it comes to working out where you are going to go – and what you are going to do when you get there. It is best to appeal to as wide a range of tastes as possible so that people don’t get bored or restless when you are there. The best way to avoid dissatisfaction is to ask your residents where they would like to go and what they would be interested in seeing and doing. Hold a discussion session over tea and cake, or ask people to write their ideas down if they would rather do so more privately.
Start looking around for ideas early. You may be able to get discounted tickets for theatre productions, sports events etc. by booking sooner rather than later. Many tourist type places can get booked up quickly if they are popular, or you are looking to go at a busy time such as Easter or at the height of summer. See if there are group discounts available, or interesting add-ons to book, such as a private tour or post-theatre show meet and greet.
Medical support and emergency planning
The fact that you are away for the care home doesn’t mean that people will stop needing the medication, careful attention and medical support that comprises their normal routines. You will also need to factor in plans for if there is a health-related emergency, such as a fall, injury or medical incident. Use the Care Vision rota tool to ensure you have enough medically trained staff accompanying the trip. Make sure you check the first aid supplies before setting off and that your smart devices are fully charged so that you can access Care Vision on the go for medical records, emergency contact details and other digital support that you need.