As seniors are more prone to suffer heat-related illnesses, it is often advisable for them to stay indoors & keep cool during hot summer months. However, playing outdoors in the summer can also help to boost seniors’ overall well-being.

It is important that seniors can get outside and enjoy a healthy dose of outdoor activities. Find out about some of the health benefits seniors can receive from playing under the sun, and some of the activities you can help them to plan.

Health Benefits

In general, outdoors activities can help rejuvenate seniors, boosting both their mentality & bodily functions. Some highlighted health benefits seniors can get while enjoying activities outside in the summer are:

A boost in Vitamin D: seniors are able to soak up more sunlight, which generates vitamin D in their body. Vitamin D is necessary for the brain, bones, and muscle function. Even if seniors can only enjoy sunlight for a short period of time outside, the amount of vitamin D that can be generated can help make a difference in their health.

More socialising: seniors have more opportunities to socialise and interact with others, including their caregiver, children, pets, and other seniors. This can help them to avoid feeling isolated and lonely, which are two common problems often come with old age.
Boosted brain function: breathing in fresh air outdoors can help the brain operate and focus better as compared to when seniors are staying inside.

Better digestion: take a walk & breathing in fresh air is good for digestion as it helps to digest food more effectively.

Suggested Summer Activities for Seniors

There are many activities that seniors are able to participle in throughout summer. Sit down with your seniors, ask them about what they would like to do, and help them to come up with a plan that enable them to enjoy the activities to the fullest without endangering their health. Some outdoor activities seniors can take part in are:

• Watching or playing sports
• Fishing
• Walking or hiking
• Bird watching and/or feeding
• Swimming
• Water Aerobics
• Gardening
• Picnic outdoors
• Volunteering

Remember, no matter which activity your seniors decided on, make sure to keep them well-hydrated all the time to avoid contracting heat-related illnesses. Recommend them to stay in a cool area or at least in the shade, and avoid staying outdoors during mid-day hours. Advise them to take frequent rest breaks, and drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic fluids throughout the day.

For more information on how you can keep your seniors safe and healthy during summer, contact Home Instead Senior Care Outer East. We are a high-quality and professional senior home care service with services ranging from basic in-home support like Personal Assistance to specialized care such as Dementia or Palliative Care.

Bonus Tip:

It is also important to note the following. Enacting Fire Emergency plans and enacting them at the appropriate time and moving to a safe environment on High Fire danger days.  Often services cannot be delivered on Extreme Fire danger days due to risk to staff. When fire danger is extreme we need to withdraw services!

Thanks for reading through this Blog, I hope you have found it useful. If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact the office.

Kind regards,

Suzanne McLoughlin
Owner of Home Instead Senior Care Outer East

P.S. We provide free Care Consultations and resource guides to support and guide families. Download your free copies from our Aged Care Resources page or Request a Free Information Pack to receive a hard copy.