Cold Weather Safety

Everyone should get his or her house in shape for winter, especially your loved ones who are older adults.

Living in areas where the temperature is below freezing and there are snowstorms frequently can be dangerous for older adults. You can help your loved one by spending a few good hours to help her winterize her home.

First, you should help prepare an emergency kit. ER kits are not just for natural disasters; they are also important if electricity goes out during an ice storm, or if conditions cause your loved one to be snowed in for a number of days.

Put together a kit with fresh water, non-perishable food, medications—with a full list of what your loved one takes and the doctor's and pharmacist's numbers—a flashlight and a radio. Also include a cell phone, a manual can opener, and warm blankets.

Try to avoid having your loved one shovel snow. This simple act can cause a heart attack in older adults. Arrange to have the snow removed.

Make sure your loved one is ready for the winter clothes wise. Investing in a warm winter coat, gloves, hats, and boots with non-skid soles—this is key, because falling on ice is very dangerous for anyone, but especially older adults who may have fragile bones.

If your loved one uses a cane, check the rubber tip. Replace it if it is smooth or worn down and/or consider buying an ice pick attachment.

Check your loved one's automobile and make sure you have the tires checked and all of the fluids replenished. Remind your loved one to pay attention to the weather reports. They should avoid driving in snowy and icy conditions.

Hypothermia can be a huge threat to older adults. Hypothermia is a severe drop in temperature that can lead to an irregular heartbeat and fatality. Older adults can also be at risk in mildly cool temperatures, too, because of the combined risk of the cold and other maladies, such as memory disorders, thyroid problems, stroke, severe arthritis and Parkinson's disease. Certain medications can also limit the body's ability to generate heat. Add a poorly heated home, and all of these can lead to hypothermia.

Fixing the poorly heated home can be easy to do. Have the chimney inspected or cleaned. Also check around all of the windows to make sure that they are not letting cold air in.

You should also “protect” the home from fire during the cold weather, meaning that if your loved one uses portable heaters, check the electric cords. Make sure they are functioning properly and keep them at least three feet away from elements that can catch fire, like curtains, for example.

Finally, change all the batteries in the smoke detectors and change the furnace filter.

Talk to your loved one about the importance of being ready for anything. It's always best to have staples or necessities in the house at all times. Plan ahead to purchase those staples on days that driving conditions are good.

Reference: AGS Foundation for Health in Aging