Golden Horizons Elder Care
Follow Us:
  • Home
  • About
    • COVID-19
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Personal Care
    • Homemaking
    • Companion Care
    • Live-In Care
    • Dementia Care
    • Additional Home Non-Medical Health Services
  • Resource Center
    • FAQs
    • Financial
    • Golden Horizons Blog
    • Government Resources
    • Organizations
    • Veterans Resources
    • Wellness
  • Service Area
    • Hartford County
    • Middlesex County
    • New Haven County
    • New London County
    • Office Locations
  • Contact
  • Employment
    • Homecare Jobs New London County CT
    • Homecare Jobs Stonington Conn.
    • Homemaker Jobs Mystic Connecticut
    • Personal Care Jobs Essex CT
    • Companion Jobs Waterford Conn.
    • Home Healthcare Jobs Groton Connecticut
    • Certified Nursing Aide Jobs Madison CT
    • Personal Care Aid Jobs Clinton CT
    • Home Non-Medical Health Aide Jobs Middletown CT
    • Alzheimer's/Dementia Care Jobs Old Saybrook CT

Safety Tips for the Elderly in Winter

1/25/2019

0 Comments

 
The winter season offers great opportunities for fun and outdoor adventures like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, sleigh rides, or a ramble down a snow covered path under the stars. But winter also heightens the possibility of dangerous 
Picture
Weee!!!!!
situations. In winter, we have ice, blizzards, nor'easters, cold temperatures and more. Slippery conditions and winter weather make it a more difficult season for the elderly. We want to make sure the safety and health of our older loved ones are well-maintained. Here is some information on common conditions or issues in winter and safety tips.

Falls - Winter weather brings increased chances of falling due to ice, snow chunks, slippery conditions. Balance issues can increase with age heightening the risk further for the elderly.

Some tips to prevent trips and falls in the winter: a) Make sure the walkways, steps etc. around your home are clear. If you are older, make sure you have someone younger who is able to help in this. b) Apply cat litter or rock salt to the walkways to provide traction and to help de-ice. c) Wear proper footwear with traction. d) If you use a cane or walker, use one with a rubber tip that provides traction.


Hypothermia - Hypothermia is a condition where the body temperature drops to dangerous levels and is caused by long exposure to cold temperatures. Our chances of developing it increase with age. Signs of hypothermia include cold, pale skin, confusion, sleepiness, balance issues, slowing heart rate or breathing. 

Tips for preventing hypothermia: a) Stay indoors or only stay out for short periods of time when it is cold b) Set the heat in the house at about 65 or higher c) If you've been outside and gotten wet clothing, change quickly into dry clothes. Wet clothes help the body temperature drop faster d) Always dress warmly and cover exposed skin in cold temperatures with gloves, thermals, scarves, pants, hats, proper coats etc. 
House Fires and/or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Winter brings colder temperatures, therefore it is common practice for windows and doors to be shut tight. Many people use fireplaces or wood stoves as sources of heat. If not 
Picture
properly tended, a fire could start, and if with doors and windows shut, there is an increased chance for a build up of carbon monoxide. Warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea/vomiting, confusion, dizziness, weakness, losing consciousness etc.

Tips for preventing fires or carbon dioxide issues: a) Call a professional to clean out your chimneys and flues b) Put up and maintain smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in optimal locations, especially near stoves, fireplaces, furnaces etc. Make sure the batteries are up-to-date c) Make sure space heaters and kerosene heaters are at least 3 feet away from any items that could be flammable d) Open a window just a crack to provide possible carbon monoxide build up an outlet to dissipate.

Frostbite - Frostbite is damage to the skin from overexposure to cold temperatures. It usually occurs on parts of the body farthest from the heart like your fingers, toes, chin, ears etc., and those with heart conditions and poor circulation, as well as the elderly, have increased risk. Signs include grayish, gray-yellowish, ashy skin, skin that feels waxy, numbness in the body parts affected.

Ways to prevent frostbite are much the same as preventing hypothermia - staying inside, or only going out in the cold for short periods of time; dressing properly for being outdoors in winter, staying warm etc.

Picture
Shoveling - While winter is fun, one of the annoying parts is having to clear our walkways and our cars of snow...aka shoveling. It's a great form of exercise, but you are outside in the cold. If we overwork ourselves, it can be a 
​recipe for serious injury. The elderly are even more susceptible to such possible injuries.

Ways to prevent injury when shoveling or clearing snow: a) If you are elderly, hire someone to do it b) Work steadily, not strenuously, so your heart and your limbs function properly. Your heart works twice as hard in cold weather c) Lift with your legs, not with your back.


Winter Driving - As we age, changes in our body, like poor eyesight or delayed reflexes, can make driving more difficult. That is only compounded in winter, with threat of black ice, poor visibility and bitter cold. We need to be prepared.
Picture
Ways to be prepared for winter driving: a) Have routine maintenance done on your car to prepare for it for winter ie. oil change, winter tires etc. b) Pack an emergency kit and keep it in your in case your were to break down - extra blankets, non-perishable food (protein bars, hard candies), shovel, rock salt, flashlight and batteries, radio, map, jumper cables, first aid kit etc. c) Always remember to drive with your cell phone and keep it charged d) Avoid icy roads if possible e) Posture in defensive driving.

Stay safe this winter!!!

Sources:
​- Healthaging.org
- National Institute on Aging
​
- "The Older Adult's Guide to Winter Weather", Amy Ehrlich, MD, January 3, 2018, US News
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Golden Horizons Elder Care Services, Inc.

    Blog Archives

    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    Announcements
    Articles
    Community
    Events
    In Home Care
    In-home Care
    Local
    Medicare
    News
    Staff

    RSS Feed

    About the Author

    Golden Horizons Elder Care Services are registered with the State of CT as a Homemaker-Companion Agency. The well-being of the aging is their primary purpose. Your loved ones are in caring hands with Golden Horizons. Golden Horizons' offices are located in Old Saybrook, and Groton, Connecticut, USA.

    Resource Links:
    • Alzheimer's, Dimentia & Driving
    • American Medical Association's Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire
    • AgeNet Better Solutions for Aging
    • Long Term Care Locators
    • National Association for Home Care and Hospice

    How Can We Help? Privacy Policy

Submit
In-Home, Non-Medical Health Care in
Connecticut Counties:
New Haven, Hartford, Middlesex, New London

CT Non-Medical Health Care Jobs
eMail or Call Toll Free Now: 1-800-421-0122
Our Secure Office Fax: 860-388-1773

AWA
Picture
Golden Horizons
Elder Care Services 
is a Drug-Free
Workplace. Go to:

Employment for
Home Care Jobs


Go to: Resource Center and Golden Horizons' Care Blog


  Memberships & Accreditations  

 

BBB-CT | ACHA | ECCC | GMCC | MCCC | OSCC | NAHC

 

We're Hiring at Golden Horizons! Homecare / Caregiving Jobs - Live-In, Homemaker, Companion,
​In-Home, Non-Medical Health Aides & Certified Nursing Assistants Jobs. ​Call today!
Other Services:
In-Home Care Services / Dementia Home Care Assistants
/ Companion Elderly Care Services, Conn.

Golden Horizons Home, Non-Medical Health Care Attendants within Connecticut Provide Peace of Mind
Golden Horizons Elder Care Services, Inc.,
251 Main St., Suite 101, Old Saybrook, CT 06475

Golden Horizons Elder Care in CT Since 1996, Bonded & Insured. CT State Reg. #HCA.0000133
Call
1-800-421-0122 Today for Senior Home, Non-Medical Health Care Services in Connecticut, USA - eMail Us Today! / Services Offered 24/7
©2021 Golden Horizons. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Accessibility
​Website & App Design, CMS, Internet Branding:
Design For Communication | !nBusinessSEO™
E-Verify
picturesbyann, riverartcenter, bundesinnung, FixersUK, Alzheimer'sAssociationGreaterIllinois, michael_swan, telephotography
Photos used under Creative Commons from Neal., The National Guard, orca_bc, Kirt Edblom, havens.michael34, Chadica, Tony Fischer Photography, Robert Couse-Baker, @mikescic, Kazuki Koikeda, muha..., havens.michael34, roger_mommaerts, kenteegardin, Yutaka Seki, oneselfsacrifice, Archive: U.S. Secretary of Defense, Benson Kua, cliff1066™, ed and eddie, wuestenigel, timsackton, lisaclarke, usarmyband, 7th Street Theatre, veteranscallusa, 2 million+ views. Humbled and thanks!, ElectroSawHQ, NDJ Mom, Jenn Durfey, DaPuglet, DrVoo, wuestenigel, planetc1, inkknife_2000 (7 million views +), chrisparkeruk, www.jasoncoreyphoto.com, seanflynn1986, Matt McGee, New Jersey National Guard, Seattle Municipal Archives, CDay DaytimeStudios w /1 Million views, Shélin Graziela, Nickolas Titkov, Melissa Hillier, KA Sports Photos, 7th Army Training Command, r.nial.bradshaw, scattered1, DVIDSHUB, ZacheryTWilson, FolsomNatural, wuestenigel, shixart1985, Tony Webster, Tom Hannigan, fechi fajardo, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., TravelBakerCounty, Clearly Ambiguous, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Named Faces from the Past, scootergenius02, Rod Waddington, pabsanch, Loco Steve, maf04, Western CT State University, marcoverch, Sister72, wuestenigel, Stefans02, rodrigocastro35, wuestenigel, qthomasbower, Doolallyally, Bill Ward's Brickpile, Alzheimer's Association - Greater Illinois