How To Help Seniors With Seasonal Depression In Winter

According to studies as much as 20% of the population can experience some form of seasonal depression. Seasonal depression can be worse for seniors who are living in their family home and don’t get out to socialize as much during the winter. Home care assistance can be a big help for seniors who are isolated during the winter. Daily visits from a home care assistance provider can provide valuable social connection for seniors and keep seniors from experiencing severe depression. Some other ways that families can help seniors who are struggling with seasonal depression are:

Get Natural Light Bulbs

Home Care Assistance Southbury, CT: Seasonal Depression

Natural light bulbs simulate natural daylight and can make a big difference when it comes to seasonal depression. Switching out all the light bulbs in the house with LED natural light bulbs can help make the house brighter and lighter to help minimize symptoms of depression.

Use A Dawn Simulator

A dawn simulator is a type of lamp that mimics the natural sunrise. Every morning at a set time the light will slowly turn on and the light will increase just like it would during a normal sunrise. The dawn simulator is a wonderful way to get more natural light and keep a healthy Circadian rhythm that will allow seniors to maintain a healthy mental outlook.

Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can be very helpful for seniors that are battling seasonal depression. But in order for aromatherapy to work the products used must be real essential oils or contain real essential oils. Fragrance oils don’t have the same effect as real essential oils. Seniors can burn candles with essential oils like lavender to help boost their mood and manage the symptoms of depression. There are also essential oil diffusers that work by heating up the oils and distributing the fragrance around the room. And there are room sprays that can be sprayed anywhere to help seniors manage their depression.

Get As Much Sunlight As Possible

Getting as much sunlight as possible is the best way to fight off seasonal depression. One way that seniors can do that at home is to open all the blinds and drapes each day. When it’s cold your senior loved one may want to leave the shades down or the curtains closed to block the cold but getting sunlight is really important. If the windows in your senior loved one’s home are cold and leak air try covering them with plastic insulation that will keep out the cold but still let in the light.

Get Exercise Daily

Exercising for at least 15 minutes each day can help seniors fight off seasonal depression. When the weather is wet or cold seniors may not want to go outside to exercise by doing activities like going for walks. But there are lots of indoor workouts that seniors can do to get the benefits of exercise. Strength training, indoor walking, cycling, or stretching workouts like yoga or Tai Chi can all help seniors manage seasonal depression.