In this mild winter, don't forget to get elders outside, too

With the last few days being so mild – actually quite beautiful – I wondered about all the snowbirds who had left Michigan for Florida, Arizona and California for the winter. My mom included.

“If we had known we were going to have a winter like this, we could have kept Mom home,” I told my husband Sunday morning as I turned down the thermostat and cracked open a window. (My mom left for my sister’s home in California last month where she’ll stay until June.)

“Maybe. But you know it won’t last.” Ray is a weather guy. He watches the Weather Channel like other people watch the news. And when he logs on to my laptop, the first thing he checks is the 10-day forecast, which he did while we were talking.

“It’s going to be sunny for most of the week. Temperatures are going down into the 30s, but the high 30s,” he reported. “You should write about how important it is for the elderly to get outside and get fresh air while the nice weather lasts.”

He’s right. Too many seniors avoid the outdoors during the winter months. And when it’s extremely cold, that’s not a bad idea. But on a day like Sunday, 48 degrees and sunny, what can be better than sitting outside or being pushed around the block in your wheelchair?

Richard Louv, author of “The Nature Principle,” advocates for “nature-assisted aging.” He reminds us that those too frail and unsteady to get around on their own are not taken outdoors enough. He especially is concerned about those who live in traditional nursing home-like facilities where the outdoors can be nearly forgotten.

“Being outdoors makes people feel fully alive, happier and even younger,” he told the Chicago Tribune last year.

So let’s all make an effort this week to get our parents and grandparents outdoors, for a short walk or sitting in the sun. And don’t let the dip in temps stop you, just throw an extra lap blanket around his or her legs and head to the park.

Anne Marie Gattari is owner of BrightStar of Grosse Pointe / Macomb. Contact her via email.  

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