Keep Your Aging Parents Safe and Healthy During the Doldrums of Winter!

Hello winter and welcome in the chilly, if not bone-biting cold, weather. How do you keep busy, safe and not bored during the winter? There are many possibilities! Remember mom and dad need to continue living healthy while enduring the cold. How can you help them? Here are 4 tips to make it a bit easier this winter season.

4 Tips to Help You Today!

Stay Social: We know keeping social gives us purpose and seems easy to do. However, when winter hits and confines us to the indoors, it can be difficult to want to engage socially. Not to mention the social distancing and mask mandates with COVID-19. Can we make socializing any more challenging?

Keeping social in the winter just got a bit more difficult. YOU CAN DO IT THOUGH! With iPads and cell phones, you can connect with loved ones or friends online. Yes, it is not a physical connection, but it sure beats no connection. How do you keep your aging parents engaged during the winter? Make a plan! You can have different family members call or visit your aging parents, if permissible, on different days. That sounds terrific! Different days they can look forward to someone calling or visiting. How about a game night via iPad or live in person? Another win. There are several ways to help your aging loved ones stay social, even in a pandemic. 

Physical Activity: How many times can we harp on the importance of moving your body? It is so important. Even at the beginning of the pandemic, it was important to keep moving. You need to keep your body going and realize that it stimulates your physical, mental and social health as well. Take time to make sure mom and dad are moving and not just to the refrigerator! Teach aging adults the importance of stretching and how it can help aid them to prevent falls and keep them physically more agile. 

Physical activity keeps the mind healthy too! Remember you can double down and exercise with a friend and keep your brain stimulated while socializing! It sounds like a win-win! Do not underestimate the benefits of physical movement to the body, mind and spirit. It is mentioned over and over because it works! One thing to remember in the winter months is be careful and maybe not go walking on an icy day!

Mental Engagement: During the winter, it is easy to let the mind wonder and get a bit of seasonal depression. It is very common for individuals to get depressed and sad during the winter months. We long for the vitamin D from the bright, beautiful sun! In addition, you need to keep your mind moving and stimulated as well. With technology and the ability to get mentally stimulating games readily off the internet, you can keep your mind hopping and growing. 

Remember to keep an eye on your aging parents to recognize the signs of depression and anxiety. The two things that became a little elevated especially in the winter. 

Mini Vacations: The thought of a mini vacation might sound a bit outrageous, but is a great idea. You could go hiking or walking on a neighboring trail or nearby town to change up the scenery. It is very possible to turn small outings into mini vacations. You can do a fun staycation and get a massage, manicure, or pedicure. Not to mention the option of renting a vacation house and just getting away. Make sure you check cancellation policies though, they vary from place to place and with COVID-19 there are different rules. It is not overwhelming but just a little different. 
Need more advice on keeping your aging parents healthy, yet engaged this winter? Contact Ann at Senior Living Options. She has over 16 years of experience in helping you navigate the road with aging parents. No matter what stage they are in, she can give you insight. Contact her today!

Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.