How To Help Your Senior Loved One Beat Winter Blues

Winter months in Michigan are long. The days are gray. The sun doesn’t shine as brightly or produce the warmth it does in the summer (if it even shines at all). During the winter, your senior loved one may feel sad, be missing loved ones even more and are not interested in participating in activities they once enjoyed.

While you can’t make winter move along any faster and summer arrive any more quickly, there are ways to help the senior in your life have brighter days.

At American House Senior Living Communities in Michigan we understand the importance of planning activities, interacting with our residents and serving warm, delicious meals.

How To Help Your Senior Loved One Beat Winter Blues

We have put together a list of ways in which you can help your senior loved one beat the winter blues this season.

1. Get involved. Urge your loved one to get involved in the activities at their community. Getting out of their room, and even getting dressed to visit friends is something to look forward to and may brighten their day.
2. Add more lighting. In the winter when the sun doesn’t shine as brightly you may want to add more lighting in their room. Open the curtains and let what little bit of light the sun produces into the room.
3. Brighten up their room with greenery. Whether it’s fake foilage, a houseplant that is easy to care for or an intriguing succulent, the greenery makes any dreary day seem brighter. Send mom or dad flowers as a way to brighten their mood and their room!
4. Stick to a routine and eat meals at the same time. If you’re feeling blue it might be tempting to either not eat or to eat “comfort foods.” Ensure your aging loved one is eating healthy meals, but don’t forget to sneak in a treat or two every now and again!
5. Get up and get moving. The longer you sit, the more you want to sit; that is a fact. American House Senior Living Communities in Michigan are ideal places for walking around indoors if it’s too cold to get out-of-doors. Many of our communities also have planned activities like arts and crafts, chair exercise and more. Urge your loved one to participate in as many activities as possible.
6. Be around friends, family and other residents. Simply talking with another resident or one of our caring staff can brighten a mood. Socializing helps prevent isolation and might even lift a blue mood.

Contact an American House community near you, take a tour and visit with our caring staff.

American House was founded in 1979 to enrich the lives of seniors and their loved ones in an environment that fosters independence, compassion, quality services and meaningful relationships. We provide a wide range of senior living options, including independent living, independent living with assistance, memory care services provided by a third party, respite stays and hospice in Dearborn Heights, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights and Westland.