Preparing for The Cold Seasons

The colder months of the year are here. By the end of this month, most foliage in New Jersey will have turned to their autumn hues. The beauty of autumn, however, also heralds the coming of the frightful temperatures in winter. More so for the elderly.

In our experience in providing nursing care in New Jersey, we can testify that the elderly are not fond of the colder seasons. The reason is that older people tend to lose body heat faster. Apart from magnifying arthritis pain, there are severe consequences for elders with long-term exposure to cold weather.

Any competent provider of home care services in Bloomfield, New Jersey, knows that cold temperatures can cause heart attacks and kidney problems in the elderly. That is why there must be precautions to help protect the elderly from the cold.

Here are some of them:

1.Set the thermostat higher

When the cold season is upon us, ensuring that our seniors are making preparations for the drop in temperature can be vital to their health. To start, we recommend turning up your thermostat by one degree for every 10-12 hours that you are absent. This will help to avoid feelings of extreme cold while you are away at work or spending time with family and friends.

Poor circulation can be a common problem with senior citizens, so it is important to keep their feet and legs warm. If you are providing extra heat in the home, we recommend that you use a combination of blankets, down comforters, and heating pads. For those who are concerned about their heat being too hot, we recommend using air flow fans to circulate the air in the home.

2. Make sure everyone is dressed warmly

The winter months are upon us and it’s time to make sure seniors are prepared for the chilly weather. It’s important to consider that some seniors have mobility constraints and may not be able to dress themselves quite as easily, so this job can fall on the shoulders of a caregiver. Here is a list of tips for dressing warmly:

• Dress in layers. This can include long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, jackets, scarves, etc. The material used in each of these layers should be thick enough to keep the body warm even when wet from rain or snow.

• Gloves, hats and scarves are also important items for keeping warm during the cold months. Gloves should be a certain thickness to prevent frostbite and hats and scarves are also essential for keeping ears, hands and head warm.

• Consider bringing a portable heater with temperature control. This can allow seniors to retain more body heat by keeping them warmer at all times of the day.

• Keep hands and feet warm with warm socks or mittens, or by wearing hand-knit wool gloves.

• If possible, have a heated mattress on the bed to keep the seniors from getting chilled through their bodies at night.

3. Prepare a Checklist

When the days get shorter and the temperatures colder, senior citizens in particular might need to prepare for winter weather. Preparing a checklist as your guide to ensure that your seniors are well taken care of during cold seasons is always best. We prepared a sample checklist for you below:

Be prepared. Start by looking at your clothing to make sure you have long-sleeve tops and bottoms, a winter coat, gloves and hat. Pack lunches in the morning.

Keep hydrated! Drink fluids throughout the day to avoid dehydration and potentially getting sick from the cold weather. Remember that water is key!

Don’t forget your medicine! Go over your medicines with a pharmacist to ensure you are ready for any type of illness or emergency situation while you’re on medication during winter months.

Keep warm! Mittens, gloves, hats and scarves are an important part of winter preparation.

Be safe! Accidents happen when people are not prepared for the weather. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times to avoid getting injured.

Stay healthy! Eat right, exercise regularly and take your vitamins to help you stay healthy while the cold weather is present.

Stay connected with loved ones! Keep your phone charger handy in case you need to contact friends or family between appointments.

We at Serenity Senior Care help our elderly clients prepare for winter when we provide for them senior care in New Jersey. We are also offering different types of services. For details, questions, comments, or suggestions, please send us an email at info@serenity-senior-care.com. Our staff will help you out with any of those inquiries.