Dealing with Cold Temperatures as a Senior

It is that time of the year when the air is cold, and it’s hard to keep your elderly family members warm. Caring for seniors can be difficult, but caring for them when the bitter winds can be even worse. Seniors lose a lot of muscle as they age and tend to lose fat, which can make it harder for their bodies to heat up and stay warm. You will have to find ways to keep your loved one warm, and senior home care will need to help them dress appropriately for the weather. Here are some of the best tips for dealing with the cold as a senior or someone caring for an elderly person.

Prevent Falling

There are so many things that can happen during the winter, even if it doesn’t snow, that may cause a senior to fall. Even if there is no snow, ice build-up could need to be removed. You or senior home care will need to go out and throw deicer on the walking path your loved one takes to and from the car. This should be done whenever the weather is wet and cold. Keep in mind that the front door or wherever you enter the house may also get wet, this can lead to falls as well. So the best thing you can do is add a mat to remove shoes and keep the floor from becoming too wet. This will protect your elderly loved one from accidental slips.

Watch Out for Hypothermia

In the winter, it can be easier for seniors to experience hypothermia. This means a senior’s body is losing heat faster than it can produce heat. It goes beyond being cold, but often, that is one of the first signs. You will need to encourage your elderly loved one to stay indoors during negative temperatures and to bundle up when they do go outside. Senior home care can help seniors check the weather for the day and help them get dressed to prepare for whatever conditions arise. It is important to keep your loved one warm by clothing, shelter, food, and even hot drinks. Senior home care can help manage all of these aspects when it comes to keeping someone warm.

Keep An Eye on Fires

As the weather drops and heating costs increase, people tend to seek alternative ways to heat their homes. Many seniors homes and even apartments will have fireplaces. This is a good way to heat the entire house, but a senior may need an extra set of eyes on the fire at all times. Your loved one should only heat a fire if they tend to remember things or fall asleep during the day. Senior home care can help manage a fireplace but it is best to find other ways to heat the house because a fire in a designated area can be dangerous for seniors. Instead, ask senior home care to cook a soup on low over the stove or bake something fresh to heat up the house. The house becomes warm, but your senior will also get warm food soon.