Although the freezing weather brings with it some excitement for holidays and celebrations lined up, it can pose unique challenges and safety concerns for older adults. The cold months can be life-threatening for the aging people that’s why it’s crucial to ensure the proper arrangements are made beforehand. Senior care services can play an important role in keeping older adults safe and healthy during the coldest days of winters.
So, if you are taking care of one of your homebound seniors, make sure you are helping the elderly by implementing necessary changes to their safety and care before the cold weather affect their health. Below listed are few pieces of advice to keep in mind for keeping your loved one safe and healthy during the winter season.
Keep Them Warm
This is one of the most important things that should be taken proper care of. You can start by dressing your elderly for the cold weather. Most of the aging individuals are at risk for hypothermia, so make sure they are properly dressed up in layers to stay warm at all the times. Well, some older adults want to save money on their electricity bill by keeping not turning on the thermostat, but this is not a good idea. Make sure to keep the home adequately heated and the thermostat stays between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in order to keep warm conditions inside the house.
Keep a Walking Aid Handy
Not all older adults require a walking aid in their everyday lives. However, stepping out in the freezing cold months can be a quite hard on their weak limbs, especially if they are above 65 years of age. So, it’s better to keep a walking aid handy with your loved one while they are roaming out.
Visit Regularly or Hire Help
During winter months, a heater issue or power outage could leave your long-distance aging parents susceptible to a dangerous situation. Try visiting your loved ones quite frequently, or identify several in-home senior caregivers who can keep an eye on your aging parents or relatives during this chilled season. Also, keep in mind that your elderly’s phone might stop functioning if there is an electricity problem, so it’s best to hire an in-home caregiver who can stay with them in case something goes wrong.
A Healthy Diet Is Important
During winters, when your aging loved ones tend to spend the majority of time inside the home, they begin to lack important nutrients for example vitamin D. So, as soon as the winter season approaches, talk with the health professionals about what food items your aging parents should be taking in order to stay healthy during the winter season.
Bonus Tip- Communicate With Your Loved One on a Regular Basis
It’s a no-brainer, the best of all tips is to communicate with your long-distance parents or older relatives, to know how are they and what they may need. Listen to them and how they feel, both mentally and physically.
The bottom line is, following the above-stated tips will definitely help you and your aging loved ones stay safe this freezing season.
