4 Ways to Help Seniors Beat the Winter Blues
Winter can be challenging for seniors who are generally confined to their homes by icy roads and chilly temperatures. The decrease in social activity, dark days, and typically frigid atmosphere can increase issues like depression. However, you can help your senior loved one fight the winter blues with the following elderly care best practices.
How to Help Your Senior Loved One Avoid Winter Depression
1. Let in the Light
A lack of vitamin D from the sun in the winter months can increase the risk of mental health problems like depression. You can help your loved one get plenty of light by opening the blinds and shutters, and investing in a sun lamp can help make up for the loss of natural sunlight.
2. Encourage Socializing
Insufficient social contact can increase feelings of isolation and loneliness in seniors, but you can keep in touch with your loved one regularly by setting up video chats if you can't stop by each day. Finding new activities for your visits, like crafting, baking, or looking through old photo albums, can help make your quality time more meaningful.
3. Promote Exercise
Winter makes it challenging to be active outside, since seniors may slip on icy walkways and are prone to get chilly quickly in the cold. Yet you can look for ways to get moving indoors, like taking walks at a shopping center, visiting a local swimming pool together, or doing senior-friendly home workouts like yoga. Exercise is a great way to produce feel-good endorphins, neurotransmitters in the brain that boost a person's mood.
4. Encourage a Healthy Diet
Besides regular physical activity, a healthy diet can boost your loved one's mood in the winter months. Ensuring they eat regularly and get hot meals full of protein, calcium, and essential vitamins like vitamins C, D, and A will safeguard their physical and mental well-being. If you don't have time to prepare meals yourself, an in-home elderly care provider can help.
If you suspect that your senior loved one is struggling with the winter blues, turn to Harmony In-Home Healthcare Inc. of Saint Louis, MO. Their in-home elderly care professionals can provide regular social interaction to help your loved one maintain a good quality of life in the winter months. They have served the community for over 10 years and are known for their friendly caregivers who provide assistance with cooking and cleaning tasks. Visit the website for more information on their services, or call (314) 752-4444 to schedule a consultation.
