Combating Senior Isolation During the Winter Months
The winter months can make things extra difficult for aging adults. Here in New York, the snow and ice can make Seniors more susceptible to falls and accidents. And, with the low temperatures, they are also more vulnerable to illnesses.
But, one of the most common and significant effects of the winter months is often overlooked, and that is the increased risk of social isolation, especially if your loved one is living alone. Not only is it more challenging for Seniors to get out of the house during the winter, but it’s also more difficult for others to come visit them.
With isolation and loneliness, you may be unintentionally putting your loved one’s mental and even physical health at risk. This article share tips to reduce isolation among Seniors in the winter.
How loneliness impacts health among older adults
We are inherently social beings, and this doesn’t change as we grow older. However, many older adults find themselves living alone, especially if their spouse has passed away, and things can be even harder if their children live far away.
When aging adults aren’t staying socially connected, they can face a variety of issues. This isolation can impact both their health and well being or state of mind. Feeling isolated can lead lead to increased blood pressure, a higher risk of dementia, more falls (and hence hospital stays). Feeling lonely can also lead to depression which in turn may lead to poor mental and physical health. Furthermore, when Seniors are alone many problems go undetected for a longer period of time. And, they are less likely to tell their friends and relatives about their problems.
According to an article published in The Journal of Primary Prevention, social isolation can lead to many poor health effects, especially in older adults, including the heightened risk for dementia, increased falls, increased risk for re-hospitalization. In fact, recent research from the University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo found that extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s chances of an early death by 14%. This is because it can elevate blood pressure, disrupt sleep, reduce the immune system and increase depression.
So, finding ways to avoid isolation and loneliness is beneficial in many ways. We’ve gathered 13 tips to help you during the winter months. You’ll also see that many of these tips apply year round.
What You Can Do to Combat Senior Isolation During Winter – 13 tips to make winters safer and more enjoyable
1. If there are underlying health issues, address them immediately
It’s much better to be proactive rather than reactive, so quickly address any issues as soon as they arise. Some things that may seem minor to you may have a big impact on their every day lives (e.g. incontinence, hearing or vision problems). Some of these issues may actually cause social isolation, so nip them in the bud. Make sure they are getting regular vision and hearing tests, or make arrangements for delivery of incontinence supplies (or if necessary get a home care aide).
All of these things will make their daily experience better and will also diminish social anxiety related to these signs. And, if you see a parent exhibiting social anxiety, it may be a sign that one or more of these problems exist (or other problems), so be observant, inquisitive and helpful.
2. Visit often, even if it’s a virtual visit
Many Seniors look forward to family get togethers, so plan try to plan a few during the winter months. They will treasure the time they have with you and the rest of the family and they will enjoy the time thinking about and leading up to the event. This may be as simple as a small family meal at either your house or theirs. If you have kids, even better. And, if your kids enjoy baking, now that’s an extra special treat for a grand parent.
If you live further away, look for ways to have virtual visits. This could be over Facetime or Skype or some other form of video conferencing. Leverage technology to your advantage even if you live close by. It will really help during snow storms and bitter cold days.
You may also want to consider sending cards, especially if you have kids. Snail mail is so rare these days, so when someone gets an actual letter, they are honored. And, the older generations tend to treasure mail even more than the younger generations. If you have kids, you may want to have them send cards periodically and/or hand made projects/crafts, or just pictures. It will go a long way to brighten their day.
3. Reach Out to Family, Friends and Neighbors for extra help
During the winter months, it’s more challenging to get around, especially if you live in a colder climate, such as New York. You may find that’s it’s even challenging for you to get around, especially when there are heavy snow falls.
See if you can enlist help from others such as neighbors or a friend if you can’t get there. And, of course don’t forget to call. In fact calling more often will really help as your loved one will feel more connected and let you know if they really need help. If you have kids, let them talk to your parent or relative, too. The more connected they feel, the better. It’s extra easy to feel lonely during the winter months, especially when it gets dark so early.
4. Make sure the indoor temperature is comfortable
This is frequently overlooked, especially if you live in a different location and don’t visit that often…or if you only visit during the day/daylight hours. So check the temperature during the early morning, middle of day and night time and make sure your loved one is comfortable (and ask them if they would like it warmer or cooler).
Check the windows and doors to make sure they are shut and that cold air isn’t blowing in. Sometimes, this is a simple fix and sometimes simple weather stripping and/or draft stopper cloth sealers for the doors. For the windows, you may want to consider curtains and/or plastic film insulation to keep the space warmer (and reduce energy bills at the same time.
As a precaution, you may also want to consider carpet installation and improving HVAC system. Carpeting will help with warmth and if you’re loved one does fall, they’ll have a bit of extra cushioning.
5. Make sure seniors are getting proper nutrition
Seniors who live alone have a greater risk of malnutrition, especially when the weather gets bad. Consider getting food delivered by an online grocery service (or even Amazon), or by a senior food service organization such as meals on wheels. Places such as Meals on Wheels not only provide nutritious food, but also social conflict.
And, if you know there is going to be a snow storm or cold bout of weather, be sure to bring over or order extra food, just in case.
6. Encourage Daily Exercise
Exercise helps improve your energy and mood, and it prevents depression. And, of course exercise also improves mobility and lowers the risk of falls. Exercise is also good for our health and helps prevent many diseases. Even if your loved one only exercises for a few minutes each day, it will help.
7. Encourage Activity and Safe Transportation
The more active your loved one is, the better it is for their physical and mental health. Encourage to use tools and technologies that can help them with this such as walkers or a hearing aid. Offer to drive them places, or arrange for safe transportation (e.g. a friend or another relative, senior-friendly transit such as an ambulette or para-transit service or even a taxi).
While getting out is a good thing, take special precautions to make sure they avoid storms, expected snow or severe cold bouts. In those cases, it’s safer for them (and for everybody) to remain home.
8. Connect Older Loved Ones with Necessary Local Services
First, see if there are local groups or activities for Seniors. Often, you can find these by doing a google search, as well joining a local Facebook Group. In many areas, there are groups for the county as well as the town, and you can just post a question to see what’s around. If you find some great local places for events, subscribe to their newsletter to stay apprised of upcoming events.
You can also use this Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) which was established by the U.S. Administration on Aging. Callers are put in touch with their Area Agency on Aging, Sometimes, AARP has come great info, but it’s usually more national in nature.
And, of course, ask your friends and even better to ask your parent’s friends as they are often more aware of the good places to go. And, of course when your loved one can get together with their current friends or go to these events with a friend, it’s even more fun (and transportation is easier).
9. Make sure your loved one is wearing appropriate clothing for the weather
Sometimes, seniors get comfortable wearing the same or similar clothes and don’t change the wardrobe as the seasons change (or if the weather is especially cold on certain days). Make sure your loved one is wearing clothes that are comfortable and will keep them warm. And, of course, if they are going outside, make sure they have the appropriate outerwear (e.g. coat, non-slip shoes (or boots), hat, gloves).
If the weather is too cold or if it’s snowing or slippery, it’s safer if they can stay inside. Slips and falls are much more common with the snow and ice, and the concrete is hard, so you want to avoid these sorts of accidents as they can be painful (and scary) and it takes Seniors longer to recover and more dependent on others while they are healing.
10. Make sure you have good lighting, especially in the winter
Good lighting is always important for Seniors as it helps to prevent falls. But, it’s even more important during the winter months as the days are shorter. In addition to the obvious need for good lighting, there is an additional risk in the winter.
Many people are impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder (or they are sometimes call the winter blues). This is really a decrease in energy and mood in the winter due to decreased day time light and it tends to affect people more in the northern states (as days are even shorter in our area). One solve for this is Light Therapy, so make sure you have full spectrum lighting (can be found in most big box stores) and that the home is well lit.
Also, be on the lookout for severe or extreme depression. If you notice this, your loved one should really consult a doctor. Sometimes, depression can be treated; sometimes, there may be something else wrong, so seek medical assistance rather than trying to speculate.
11. Consider a pet
Pets create amazing companionship and there are now many studies to show that pets can even improve our health. According to this article in the Huffington post, there are studies that have shown that having a pet can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower heart rate and even improve survival after a heart attack.
In fact, a growing amount of evidence that supporting pet ownership is good for your health, even prompted the American Heart Association to issue an official statement in 2013 that having a pet could reduce your risk of heart attack.
This is a personal choice and may depend on your loved one’s preferences and ability to care for a pet as well as where they live (some Co-ops and rentals do not allow pets).
12. Equip your loved one with books and other self entertainment
Help your loved one find some indoor activities that they can enjoy and do by themselves, so it will make that time more enjoyable. Each person’s preferences (as well as motor skills) may be different, but here are a few ideas to get you started. If the person likes to read, that’s a wonderful way to enjoy the time. Check out our fall/winter reading list for Seniors here. You may even want to see if using a kindle makes things easier for your loved one.
Some people love knitting, or even learning how to knit. And, now, thanks to all the blogs on the internet, there are tons of printable patterns that you can download. Or perhaps a jigsaw puzzle will do, or even a puzzle book (make sure the skill level is appropriate). I’ve also seen many seniors use ipads for computer games such as solitaire, or of course a good old deck of cards will do.
13. Consider Home Care or Assisted Living
Sometimes, our loved one needs more help than we’re able to provide, especially when the weather get cold or throws us a curve ball. Sometimes, it helps to get a home care aide to help supplement, especially during the winter months.
This could be as simple as getting part time help, or help shopping for food and meal prep. Sometimes, this may just mean some visits them once a week and helps pick up prescriptions and organize medications for the week. Many mistakenly think that you need to hire someone full time or they wait until things have reached a tipping point. Getting home care for a loved one can certainly be a gradual and part-time process on the needs of the individual or family.
You can learn more about how we help our clients with in home care services. There is a breadth of options. If you’d like to continue this conversation, feel free to reach out to us at (212) 307-7107.
Related articles:
- Fall/Winter reading list
- Preventing falls among Seniors and why it’s so important
- Bathroom safety tips for Seniors
- Kitchen safety tips for Seniors
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