Submitted by Brian Porter, Director and Owner of Living Assistance Services
For our aging loved ones, the seemingly endless days of summer are such happy times in Richmond Hill, and elsewhere, when the pleasant temperatures are ideal for outdoor activities, socialization and spending leisure hours in the sun. It’s a time when we all feel really alive!
Gardening, for instance, occupies seniors’ many summer afternoons, providing them with hours of activity, purpose and satisfaction. The backyard garden also offers seniors an opportunity to share their bountiful harvests with neighbours, family and friends and provides lots of opportunities to socialize and have interesting conversations.
As the warm season winds down, however, the colder hints of what is to come dampen seniors’ spirits. The end of summer means less time to spend outside with neighbors and with grandchildren who will soon be occupied by school. Families return from summer vacations, resulting in fewer visits to their elderly loved ones.
Pending loneliness is not the only drawback of the end of summer. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a change of season depression, also plagues vulnerable seniors who conjure up the dark thought of winter. Elders who live alone may be faced with the prospect of impending loneliness and isolation.
Fortunately, seniors can prevent the end of summer blues. Elderly individuals who incorporate simple tactics remain upbeat and involved in life, even when summer has sung its annual swan song:
Here are some late summer suggestions to pre-empt the late summer blues, when the days are growing shorter, and the temperature is decreasing:
- It’s harvest time! Try picking some fruit. For example, late summer marks the end of peach season and the start of apple season.
- Go to a drive-in movie. Theaters have begun playing older films, tapping into the nostalgia of the drive-in experience. For the first time in a while, there may be a movie playing that you want to see!
- Replace the tendency to begin to hibernate with active community involvement.
- Go to the park often. Read your book outside there every day as long as possible.
- And, definitely remember that..... “Summer is a state of mind."
For advice about seniors and care at home, please kindly contact Brian Porter, Director and Owner of Living Assistance Services (LAS), at 416 483-0070 (office), 905 758-2486 (cell) or [email protected] and visit www.livingassistance.ca
