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Upper Peninsula winters can be very difficult, especially on seniors.
The Western Upper Peninsula Health Department is encouraging residents to check up on their elderly neighbors during this time of year.
Winter can present many obstacles to seniors–things like depression, nutrition deficiencies, injuries from snow removal or from slip and falls, as well as social isolation.
The Senior Reach Program calls upon the community, families and neighbors to keep an eye out for signs that someone needs help.
Senior Reach Coordinator Kelli Garrison with the Western U.P. Health Department said, “We want to make sure that we’re watching for isolation, if there’s any changes in mood, if you’re noticing that maybe they’re not eating right or sleeping more, they’re sad, if there’s anxiety—any symptoms of depression—basically, any changes in behavior are things that we want to watch out for.”
If you notice any of those signs, you can make a referral by calling the Senior Reach hotline at (906) 482-HELP and ask for a Senior Reach specialist.
The specialist will reach out to the senior to offer one of their many home based services, including mental health services, minor home repairs and community connections.
