Senior Home Care Helping Northern MI Seniors with Winter Depression

Deep snow drifts, bitterly cold temperatures and high winds are leaving seniors home bound for long stretches of time. The northern Michigan home care providers at Comfort Keepers of Traverse City and Petoskey MI are helping seniors fend off winter depression with exercise, social time, nutritious meals and maintaining required medications. Home care providers are able to adjust their schedule to provide the additional support that is needed during the harsh winter months.  By maintaining a positive outlook and disposition clients are often able to stay physically healthier.

Home care providers like the professional caregivers at Comfort Keepers strive to provide an environment where clients thrive. Seniors benefit from the regularly scheduled visits from trusted home care professionals. Just knowing someone is coming to visit helps seniors feel less isolated.

Having a caregiver help with keeping the house clean and preparing nutritious meals is important, but so is emotional support and interaction. People who feel isolated are at increased risk to suffer depression, which affects overall health and wellbeing.

Comfort Keepers home caregivers are highly skilled at helping seniors beat the winter blues. Depending on the needs and abilities of each client, they can:

• Plan outings or errands together – for fun or to get groceries or to appointments
• Have interesting conversations, talking about current events or reminiscing about the past
• Encourage participation in hobbies such as knitting, scrapbooking or playing crossword
• Play games like cards or Monopoly
• Bake or plan some new and interesting meals
• Read or listen to an audio book together
• Venture out for a walk together if the weather isn’t too harsh or do some simple exercises in the house to keep active
• Help them stay in touch with family and friends, perhaps with Skype or over the Internet or by phone or mail

Knowing that a loved one will have someone maintaining supplies in the house, making sure that your family member is healthy and getting out of the house for fun activities, eating properly and  taking their medications is reassuring, especially during the cold winter months. Comfort Keepers caregivers will help seniors beat the winter blues by staying physically and mentally active, eating well, assisting with personal care and household chores. If caregivers see signs of seniors feeling depressed they can contact family members for additional support and encourage the senior to seek help from health care providers.

Contact Comfort Keepers at the Petoskey or Traverse City, MI office to arrange senior home care for as little or as much time as you would like. We will carefully select a compatible caregiver for your needs and assist you in obtaining third party funding or customizing your plan to suit your budget. Call today to schedule your complimentary consultation: (231) 222-5376.