Winter weather can bring special challenges and circumstances to seniors and their caregivers. By taking a little extra precaution, you can be prepared for whatever the winter weather may bring your way.

Top 5 Winter Weather Risks:

1. Home power outages
2. Colder weather
3. Carbon monoxide poisoning
4. Outdoor dangers
5. Nutrition and staying healthy

• Home Preparation for Power Outages:

Sudden power outages can be scary and frustrating, especially if they last for more than a few minutes. Prepare your home in case there is a power outage, so you’ll be ready when it goes dark. Put together an emergency preparedness kit in case of a prolonged or widespread power outage.

Emergency Preparedness Kit:

• Water – One gallon per person, per day (2-week supply).
• Non-perishable food (2-week supply).
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and required medical items.
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items.
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and medical information, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, Insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and Emergency Contact information.
• Extra Cash
• If someone is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining equipment, include backup power in your plan.
• Keep a non-cordless phone in your home. It will likely work even if the power is out.
• Car with a full tank of gas

Reference: www.redcross.org

• Dressing for Cold Weather:

Cold temperatures can lead to frostbite and hypothermia – a condition where the body temperature dips too low. More than half of hypothermia-related deaths were of people over the age of 65, according to the CDC (www.cdc.gov)

• Bundle up – Keep indoor temperatures warm and dress in layers. If going outside in very cold temperatures, cover all exposed skin. Use a scarf to cover your mouth and protect your lungs. When venturing outside, make sure you are outfitted with:
  • Warm socks.
  • A hat.
  • Gloves.
  • A scarf.
  • A heavy coat.

• Prevent Falls in Slippery conditions – Icy, snowy roads and sidewalks make it easy to slip and fall. Falls are a leading cause of death from injury in men and women over the age of 65 (www.cdc.org). Help prevent falls in winter weather:
  • Stay indoors until roads are clear and conditions have dried.
  • Wear shoes with good traction and non-skid soles.
  • Replace a worn cane tip.
  • Take shoes off immediately after coming indoors.

• Prevent Carbon monoxide poisoning:

Carbon monoxide is gas that cannot be seen or smelled, making it nearly impossible to detect unless you have an alarm. Using the fireplace, gas heaters or lanterns can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep seniors safe by making sure they have a current carbon monoxide detector and check batteries regularly.

Avoid leaks and poisoning by having any active fireplace or natural gas heater inspected to ensure it is properly vented.

• Outdoor Safety:

Driving and walking in harsh winter conditions can pose health hazards. Stay indoors during severe winter weather and follow these tips if and when you must go outside:

• Dress warm and wear the proper footwear to help prevent slips and falls.
• Make sure the path to your door, garage and mailbox are shoveled and free of debris.
• Use salt to melt icy sidewalks and steps or cover the ice with something gritty such as sand or cat litter.
• Take your time to reduce your risk of falling

• Good Nutrition:

Proper nutrition in the winter months can boost immunity and help provide seniors with much-needed nutrients to ward off the germs that cause colds and the flu and even help minimize a cold’s duration.

Nutrition tips for your best Immunity:

• Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients such as citrus, cabbage, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato and spinach.
• Fight infections with Zinc. Zinc is found in fish, oysters, poultry, eggs, milk, unprocessed grains, and cereals.
• Drink hot tea to help ward off germs.
• Include good bacteria in your diet. Products such as kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut provide live cultures that help fight off infections.
• Take a daily multivitamin.

(www.todaysdietitian.com)

BONUS: Car and Driving Precautions

1. Keep an ice scraper in your car.
2. Check your wipers and wiper fluid. keep an extra gallon of cold-weather formula wiper fluid in the car or garage.
3. Be mindful of travel warnings or advisories during winter weather.
4. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
5. Take a cell phone with you.

 

You can download this article here: Winter safety tips for Seniors and Caregivers

In need of Homecare? Call River Oaks Homecare TODAY. 267-755-7500. We can help with the following services and much more:  Our Services

Content Credit: Clear Care

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Elder abuse and neglect is very common in our society and around us, unfortunately due to the fact that little or no awareness is made about it to the public and our society in general, it makes it tough for us to see even when it’s happening close to home and around us. It shouldn’t be a surprise to us that most of this abuse and neglect occur within the family on a larger scale.

An abuse is the intentional cause of any physical injury inflicted on the consumer. Also, it is the unnecessary isolation or confinement of anyone as a punishment. Abuse can also be in the form of intimidation and also neglect.

Neglect is the failure to provide individuals with the most basic needs such as : Food , Water and Cleanliness. Neglect can also be when a caregiver fails to provide care and also to  keep the consumer from  physical and emotional harm.

Financial Abuse is another form of abuse that occurs with our seniors and this happens with the misappropriation of their properties, stealing their saved up money or cajoling them to sign documents and papers to favor them. Other kinds of abuse perpetrated to Seniors include: Verbal Abuse, Emotional Abuse and sexual abuse.

If you happen to live close by any senior, be on the alert to see if you suspect that there’s any form of abuse, depression or fear.You can also report any suspicious incident to the nearest county’s Aging and Adult services representative.

According to a write up from the American Foundation for the blind (www.afb.org), 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 have a severe visual impairment. Vision loss can greatly affect the well-being of older adults in many ways.

A lot of visually impaired seniors experience difficulty performing the activities of daily living (ADL) such as : Finance management,cooking, shopping,reading, showering, recreational activities, participating social activities and all other personal needs. And once these difficulties are noticed, it sometimes lets in depression. Some common vision reducing eye problems include:

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Diabetes
• Dry eye
• Age related macular degeneration.

One of the ways to avoid loss of vision is early preventive care. The earlier it’s detected the better the chances of avoiding loss of vision.

• Going for regular vision appointments at least every two years.
• Keeping a healthy diet.
• Exercising more frequently
• Physical exams to check for diabetes and high blood pressure
• No smoking

And if seniors are already experiencing some loss of vision, here are some tips that can make a difference around their homes:

• Installing proper lighting around the home is helpful
• Using braille, audio tapes and reading large font books.
• Labeling important thing around the home.
• Removing clutters around the home.

Finally, getting in touch with nonprofit organizations involved with seniors affected by loss of vision can greatly help. Examples of such organizations are : Pennsylvania association for the blind (www.pablind.org) ,American solution for the blind (www.afb.org).

Considering all accidents that occur during bathroom use in elderly homes, it’s very important to take action with the installation of bathroom safety measures for our loved ones since it is an high risk area.

Grab rail also known as grab bar is one of the safety measures that prevents fall from slippery floors and bathtubs.They are strategically attached to walls in the tub and shower area to offer a steady brace while getting in and out of the shower or getting up and down from the toilet seat.