How to Take Care of Seniors in Winters and Prevent Falls

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When the parents cross the age of 60 years, it becomes a priority for the near ones to assort extra safety measures and elderly care provisions to keep them protected. The winters are more challenging for the older adults. The extreme cold temperatures, heavy snowing, slippery walkways, falls, and health concerns are common issues in every household having senior members. Statistics show that 1 in every 3 elderly people are affected with serious injuries due to falls. To avoid these consequences and utmost protection, here are some essential tips for elderly care in winter.

Clothing and Shoes for Utmost Protection in Cold Weather

The relatives of seniors need to take special care of the clothing pattern during winters. Clothes should be warm enough to maintain the body temperature at or above 95 degrees. In winters, the older adults are intensely under the danger of frostbite and hypothermia. Hypothermia or the extremely low body temperature is a major cause of deaths in winters. People over the age of 65 years are at a greater risk of deaths due to these consequences.

Measures to Avoid Suffocation and Carbon Concentration

Using fireplaces, lanterns and gas heaters are common practices during snowfall to keep the rooms warm. Take extreme care to ensure that the rooms have proper ventilation system to prevent carbon monoxide concentration. You can install a CO detector for the purpose. Call the doctor if you feel that the senior members have been suffocated by high smoke accumulation in the room.

Arrange Provisions to Deal with Frequent and Long Duration Power Cuts

Heavy snowfall, thunders and storms can frequently disturb the continued power supply. The elderly people need to go to the toilets or even move about for getting help or necessary articles. If possible, some family members need to stay with them for help during these hours. Else, you can also opt for in home care for seniors to ensure they do not encounter major accidents or injuries due to slips or falls. Keep some battery-operated lights, warm clothes and other provisions that are necessary during this interval. Long duration power cuts can cause food staling in the refrigerator. Stock some non-perishable and package food for feeding the elderly members.

Avoid Slips and Falls in the Home Premises

• Majority of the slips and fall incidents occur while the elderly members are inside the home premises. 
• Maintain proper illumination in the premises for adequate visibility in the corridors, stairs and other places.
• Provide a phone to the elderly members so that they can call someone when they need help.
• Do not leave loose wiring, incomplete electrical work, messy and slippery floors.
• Clean the bathroom floors regularly to avoid slippery surfaces.  If possible, keep a shower mat so that the people do not slip in the area.

The seniors may be under depression in winters due to lack of frequent outing for walks and exercising. The non-medical and in home care for elderly not only ensures proper health monitoring but their friendly gesture offers a good company to the elderly particularly helpful to deprive them of the loneliness.

What measures do you adopt to care for the elderly in winter? Please share your suggestions herein that can be of great help to all the readers.