Caregiver Cruise 2017
We cruised to Bermuda, June 3-8, 2017!
In Bermuda, our participants and caregivers enjoyed a glass bottom boat tour, visiting the pink sands of Horseshoe Bay, viewing the beautiful coastline from the Fantasea Sightseeing Boat tour, and exploring the city of Hamilton. We also had some time for shopping, sampling rum cake, and of course a little eating and drinking at the Frog and Onion Pub!
We took advantage of all the amenities on the Anthem of the Seas as well. Several participants were selected to participate in a jewelry fashion show, many raced in bumper cars, enjoyed a wine tasting, and took in evening shows at the theater. Joel and Christi, the Insight staff members on the cruise, were the only ones brave enough to try out the roller skating rink!
While everyone enjoyed all the sights and attractions, many said the best part of the cruise was the company and the support.
Check Out What We Did!
We made daily posts here with trip highlights and excursions so you can feel like you've cruised along with us!
We departed from New Jersey on Saturday, June 3rd, traveling to King's Wharf, Bermuda, and returned on Thursday, June 8th.
Why a Cruise?
When you think of Alzheimer’s disease, you tend to picture someone approaching 100, probably in a nursing home, unable to remember anything. We instinctively know that Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t start at the end, or even in the middle, but there is still a stigma attached with the diagnosis. Many try to hide it; withdraw from work and social engagements. They feel it’s too difficult, and stop trying. But that doesn’t have to be the new normal.
Alzheimer’s doesn’t start at the end. Couples still want to enjoy a dinner out or take in a movie with their spouse. In the summer you want to enjoy a neighborhood barbeque or even a family vacation. An early stage support group at Insight expressed the desire to still travel with their loved ones, but many said it was becoming too difficult on their own. And thus the Caregiver Cruise was born!
Insight Memory Care Center now offers a regular Caregiver Cruise. Both the individual with a dementia diagnosis and their caregiver attend, making the program possibly the first of its kind in the country. In addition to the many benefits a cruise offers – the chance for a vacation, seeing new sights, a getaway – the caregiver cruise provides families with a sense of normalcy.
“It is a ‘safe space’ in which we can be ourselves…in the company of people—participants and Insight staff—who just ‘get it’,” says Michael Bell, a previous cruise participant.
Insight’s first Caregiver Cruise was offered in 2015. We sailed aboard the Grandeur of the Seas down to the Bahamas, allowing 8 couples to enjoy Port Canaveral, Nassau, CocoCay, and Key West. In June 2016 we took another 8 couples on our second annual cruise to New England and Halifax! Families enjoyed sightseeing in Boston, Portland, St. John’s, and Halifax.
Insight’s third annual Caregiver Cruise is departing soon for the Bermuda with 8 families in attendance. Beyond enjoying the sunny beaches, cruise participants have the opportunity for a vacation in a safe environment, in the company of others who “get it.”
“’That’s such a great idea!’ is what I keep hearing anytime I tell someone about the Caregiver Cruise program,” shares Christi Clark, Director of Education and Support Services at Insight. She was even asked to present a how-to workshop on replicating the program for other adult day center leaders at the National Adult Day Services Association conference last fall.
Insight Memory Care Center strives to provide the highest quality of life for those with dementia. And what better way to promote quality of life – even just normalcy - than with a well-deserved vacation.
