Winter wellness checklist for seniors

​Cure those cold weather blues with these senior living expert tips and tricks! When you’re stuck inside during the winter months, that can start to put a damper on mental health and physical wellness. So, we sat down with Linda Falson, our Director of Life Enrichment, to get the scoop on what is being done at our community to warm the soul in the winter months. These tips, however, can also be practiced at home if your loved one is in your care and not living in an assisted living or memory care community.
 
I like to move it, move it
Physical wellness is so important at any age. The colder the weather, the more we stay inside. The more we’re inside, the less active we can become. It’s also easier to want to hang around and eat more in the winter. Therefore, staying active by doing simple chair exercises each day for 15-20 minutes is a must. These exercises can either be done at home, during a group class, or with a trained expert. 

​For some, starting physical wellness routines can be tough to stick to. To help start a healthy new habit in 2022, we recommend making it as fun as possible. A few ways to do this are:

• Create a playlist of music you like to play while working out
• Post sticky notes on your fridge to remind you to workout
• Download a fun podcast to listen to if you need to be distracted while working out
• Log workouts in a daily journal and track how you’re feeling along your senior fitness journey
• Invite friends to join a class or program and make it a social outing to hold you accountable
• Add fruit infused water to your workout for some deliciously refreshing hydration

Workout routines to try now
Again, just 15-20 minutes a day is all you need to stay healthy and get that body moving. Here are a few favorite and quick workout routines that you can try sitting or standing:

• Leg lifts and side steps
• Flexing feet
• Arm crunches
• Hugs to others or oneself
• Motions such as hanging up laundry, sitting and picking up laundry
• Moving wrists up and down
• Opening and closing hands
• Windmill shoulder rotations or airplane up and down arm raises

Brain games for senior wellness
Just as important as physical wellness is, mental strength is also something to practice daily. One way you can workout your brain is by doing jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, and word searches. These are all fun activities that can be enjoyed alone at home or during some of our coordinated calendar events with other neighbors in our assisted living and memory care community – our staff also love joining in!
 
Social tips for seniors – virtually or in-person
Social wellness is such a vital part of getting through the winter blues! It’s so important for families and friends to keep in consistent touch with their loved ones during this season. One way we recommend safely doing so is by video calls through FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or Google Duo. You can also send pictures and cards or schedule a time to visit.
 
If you’re not comfortable being inside the community just yet due to traveling by plane but still want to safely see your senior loved one, we offer a secure and safe on-site visitation room. This space is sealed and setup with a clear glass partition, speaker system and comfortable seating so you can relax with your loved one without ever having to enter the community. This is an option for visiting family and friends until you’re sure you’re not an exposure risk to your loved one and their neighbors.
 
Keeping your loved one socially involved with family and friends makes a world of a difference when they may otherwise feel less social due to the colder, darker winter months. This may be more difficult if your loved one lives at home with you. However, in a senior living community like Melody Living Lake in the Hills, there are countless activities that can keep your loved one socially busy in a safe and fun way.
 

Reduce illness risks
At home, it’s important to reduce illness by tackling common risk factors! A clean environment is key. At Melody Living, we have cleaning staff that work hard to ensure residents are staying well during the winter season by keeping the community cleaned and disinfected daily. Also, we require that all staff, aside from those with exemptions, are fully vaccinated.
 
Residents, visitors, and employees are all wearing face coverings and being socially distant to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Again, part of staying healthy means ensuring that all the Eight Dimensions of Wellness are incorporated into daily life. Which is why we offer a range of activities such as physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental.   
 

Seniors are at risk of winter blues from lack of sunshine, cold weather and lack of outside activity. It is always a good idea to make sure you are hydrated and staying warm throughout this season of the year. Spending time with family or friends, reminiscing, playing cards, listening to music or just simple conversation can all help improve one’s overall well-being and ward off illness.

To learn more about our dedication to providing safety and wellness for all our residents, feel free to give us a call at 847.957.7070. We also would be happy to schedule your own private in-person tour of our senior living community, send us a message here.