The leaves are changing colors, they will soon fall off their trees. The nights are getting cooler and darker fast, along with coolness and darkness there are things we need to take care of.
If you garden, and or have a house you will need to do maintenance before the winter starts. The gutters will need to be cleared out. The leaves that have fallen from the trees will need to be raked, plants will need tending to, the outside water turned off and the hoses put away.
We could still be able to do our outdoor tasks but as we age our risks of having accidents increases, our balance could be off ever so slightly, our vision is not as clear as it once was especially in low light, our reactions are slower. This is why we need to be very cautious in the fall and winter. Be careful around wet leaves that are on the ground; they could be slippery and cause you to lose your balance. When the temperatures drop there is also the chance of black ice in the mornings. In the low light of the morning it is easy to trip over things.
To lower our risks of hurting ourselves we could ask someone to help us out with our tasks.
Do our autumn chores on sunnier days or brighter days which would give us more light and better visibility. Keep our walkways clear of fallen leaves on a regular basis. Wear good outside shoes or boots with good grips. Wear your clothing in layers, with a waterproof jacket.
When you go inside be sure that you have proper lighting, check your lightbulbs and replace them if needed.
Clear clutter from the hallways, and stairs.
Check all of the smoke, and carbon monoxide alarms, possibly change the batteries when the time change happens.
Our moods can change as well, some people have lower moods which could be related to SAD Seasonal Affective Disorder. There are SAD lights available for this. You could go for a walk to help improve your mood in the brightest part of the day. If you can’t go outside, try some indoor exercises. Be sure to get enough sleep this will help with the low moods.
Your Allergies could increase.
Sometimes it’s hard for seniors to socialize and stay active at this time of year, making them feel isolated and lonely. If you know someone that is having a hard time leaving their homes visit them let them know they are not forgotten.
Whitevalley Resource Center would like to thank our sponsors, The United Way, and Interior Health.
