Is your elderly loved one inside pretty much all the time? If your elderly loved one doesn’t go outside much, they could be missing out on a lot. Research shows that going outside can help senior citizens in numerous ways. Keep reading here today to find out how being outside can benefit your elderly loved one, and how senior care can help.
Increased Vitamin D Levels
Many senior citizens have low Vitamin D levels. This can cause them to feel tired a lot of the time. People who don’t get outside much may also have a weaker immune system. The good news is that these elderly people can go outside and get a good dose of Vitamin D. If your elderly loved one goes outside 15 minutes a day, this can help to boost their immune system and give them more energy so they aren’t as tired. If needed, you or a senior care provider can remind your elderly loved one to go outside for 15 minutes in the morning or evening.
Faster Recoveries
Was your elderly loved one recently injured? Maybe they had a fall and fractured or broke one of their bones. Did your elderly loved one recently have surgery? If so, they may need quite a bit of time to heal. Many surgeries that the elderly get can take 2 weeks to a few months to fully heal. Did you know that being outside can help your elderly loved one to heal quicker? The natural light from the sun is very helpful in this regard.
Improving Focus
Does your elderly loved one get easily distracted? Do you or senior care providers notice your elderly loved one is unmotivated a lot of the time? If your elderly loved one isn’t focusing well these days, there are many things that can be done to change this. One of the things that can be done is to get them outside more often. Research shows that sunlight can help people to focus better. There is something about the natural light that just makes people feel better. In addition, Vitamin D can improve energy, which can also help people to focus. Think about this for a minute. If you are exhausted, you probably can’t focus well either. Now, think about a time when you were full of energy. You were probably able to focus on the things you wanted to do better. This is likely the case for your elderly loved one, too.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways that going outside can help your elderly loved one. If you or a senior care provider notice that your elderly loved one isn’t focusing well or they need more energy, you should encourage them to spend 15 minutes or more outside every day. Doing this in the morning can give them the energy needed to start their day.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3546779/
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/outdoors.htm