June is the Great Outdoors Month and for people all ages, getting outside is not just enjoyable, but it is good for emotional and physical health. Unfortunately, for some seniors, the prospect or notion of getting outside, even for a few minutes a day, can seem almost impossible. Home care can make a difference that assists seniors in spending just a little bit of time in the nice, warm weather of summer.
What can being outdoors offer seniors?
When we think of parks, warm weather, beaches, and so forth, what is the one image that tends to come to mind first? Younger people. Teenagers, twentysomethings, younger adults with children, and so forth.
How often do we actually think about elderly men and women enjoying these same activities? Yet, there is absolutely no reason why a person in their 70s, 80s, or 90s can’t enjoy a nice day out in the wonderful warm weather.
Of course, the older people get, the more they have to protect themselves from the elements, most notably the sun and its UV radiation, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy some time outdoors.
Being outdoors means enjoying some fresh air, some warm sun, and activities that help people feel connected to the world around them. When you enjoy some fresh air after being inside, especially in air conditioning or locked up during a long, difficult winter, don’t you feel refreshed and energized?
That’s just one of the benefits that people of advancing years can also enjoy, so long as it can be done safely.
Talk about home care for the senior in your life.
If you are working, have many responsibilities, or don’t live close to that aging parent, grandparent, or other elderly person in your life, and they have difficulty, are slowing down physically, or are recovering from any number of ailments or other issues that landed them in a hospital during the past few months, sit down and talk to them about home care.
They might be able to do most things by themselves and never would have thought about home care before, but it can be a huge advantage, especially to keep them safe.
But a home care aide can also help that senior get outside and enjoy life in a safe manner. Just stepping outside and going for a stroll along the sidewalk might not seem like a big deal, but with uneven terrain, potholes, cracks, and so forth, there is a risk of slipping or tripping for an aging senior.
For somebody who doesn’t drive anymore or has difficulty using public transportation, a home care aide can help them get to the park, a local beach to stroll down the boardwalk, or anywhere else the senior wishes to go within reason.
This allows that elderly person to still feel like they matter, that their life still has value. It does. And, when they get a chance to be outdoors, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the warmth of the summer sun, with a hat and wraparound sunglasses, of course, to protect them physically, it can recharge them, energize them, and help them feel connected to the world once again.
