Getting Good Seats at the Parade: A Guide for Caregivers

Second chances don't come along often in life, but one did for me last Memorial Day weekend.

On Friday at 5 PM, the High School held a homecoming parade, but I mismanaged my work calendar and totally missed it. There was my mom - one person with two arms - with dad, and the walker, and two lawn chairs, and a cooler with snacks, drinks, and ice. Off to the parade my dad and she went. Sorry, Mom.

On Saturday I woke up to a rare opportunity. The Local University was holding a parade of their own today at 12 noon. I had plenty of time to prepare. And this time I did it right.

Getting a Person with Mobility Challenges to a Parade

From caregiver to caregiver, here's one tiny victory I won at a local parade. A lot like a "handicapper" for front-row seats to a local event.‍

When you're caring for an aging person with mobility or be-on-time-ability challenges, here's my best advice when planning to attend a parade: (1) squat your spot by setting up chairs, (2) pick up and transport the person with mobility issues, and (3) enjoy the time to and from the parade.

1. For the plan to work, you need 60 to 90 minutes runway time before the parade starts.
2. First gather round lawn chairs and seats that collapse easily, and get them in the car.
3. If you're lucky enough to have an in-home printer - here's the fun part - print out a "RESERVED FOR SENIOR CITIZEN" sign and bring tape along with the chairs into the car. An extra sneaky fun trick is to copy/paste the parade organizer's logo from google onto your printout, to make it look extra official, and that's not going to cause any trouble...
4. Drive down to the best spot to watch the parade. Your target arrival time is 30 minutes before event at the latest for a small town parade, or 60 minutes before the event at a big city parade
5. Find a place that's still wide open unreserved, next to a tree for shade to keep cool on a sunny hot day or shelter to keep dry on a drizzly wet day. Setup the chairs right there.
6. We haven't talked about your caregiving responsibilities yet. That's because the person you care fore is back home waiting to be picked up. You drive back home, pick up the person you care for, and make your way to the parade.
7. With the seats (and other things you setup) already in place, now everyone can enjoy a smoother way to and from the parade.

In summary, if the person with mobility problems can safety take care of themselves while you go and squat your spot for the parade, then making two trips instead of one reduces stress and increases enjoyment. First you setup the chairs, then you make the trip with your people. One extra trip for logistics makes for a whole lot more enjoyment.