At Blossom Home Care, we recognise the challenges the winter months can pose for our elderly clients. From staying safe after a cold weather spell, to keeping your home warm in winter, the amount of caution the elderly population have to observe can feel as debilitating as any illness.
While you may feel inclined to huddle indoors and wait for spring, we believe in empowering our elderly clients to not just survive but thrive during winter, while preparing themselves and their homes for any eventuality. In this article, we will share our top winter safety tips for seniors, so that you can be comfortable at home while continuing to pursue your passions out in the wider world.
Keeping Warm at Home in Winter
As the days grow shorter and the cold weather creeps in, you may prefer to spend more time indoors than brave the wet or icy conditions outside. However, without making the necessary winter preparations around your home, you risk something going wrong and having to sit around inside a freezing house while you wait for family or a professional to arrive and fix the problem.
- Service your boiler
Checking that your boiler has been recently serviced is crucial to reducing the likelihood of experiencing any heating issues this winter. When your plumber last serviced your boiler, they should have attached a sticker stating the date and when it is due for another review. If the due date has passed or will pass over the winter period, you may want to contact your plumber to perform an updated service.
- Bleed your radiators
Testing the radiators around your home is equally important, as any issues with their internal system could prevent you from keeping warm in winter. When a radiator has been idle for a long time, such as over the summer, air can become trapped in its system, making it take longer to heat up or stopping it from reaching its maximum temperature. If any of your radiators are slow to start, feel cold at the top, or make strange gurgling noises when turned on, you may need to contact your plumber to bleed the affected radiators.
- Control your heating
With the integration of smart technology into heating systems, there are more options for home heating controls than ever before. Whether you prefer using a wall-mounted thermostat, a portable thermostat that accompanies you from room to room, or an application on your smartphone, choosing a control method that you can confidently use is critical during cold weather spells.
Cold Winter Weather Tips
Once the temperature drops below zero, the outside world becomes much more difficult to navigate, especially in rural areas with less footfall and fewer cars on the road. While it might be safer to stay indoors, we appreciate that walking around the neighbourhood or going to the shops may be an important part of your daily routine. While we encourage our clients to maintain their independence however they can, it is important to be prepared for anything the winter weather might throw at you.
- Wear insulated clothing
Keeping warm in the winter is especially important for the elderly, as low blood circulation makes them much more susceptible to developing hypothermia. Before you expose yourself to the elements, make sure all your extremities are covered with insulated clothing, such as woollen hats that cover your ears, scarves that wrap around your face and neck, gloves for your hands and thermal socks for your feet.
- Keep your entryways clear
While you can’t control the wider world around you, keeping the entryways to your home clear of ice and snow removes the risk of falling when you step outside and makes it easier for anyone trying to access your property. Spreading salt over the ground the night before should keep the ice at bay, but you may have to ask a friend or neighbour to clear away heavy snowfall.
- Make alternate travel arrangements
Travelling during or after heavy snowfall is challenging even for confident drivers, and can be downright dangerous too. As we get older, our reflexes become slower, making it much more difficult to respond to hazards appearing out of a snowstorm or control a vehicle on slippery road surfaces. Rather than risk getting behind the wheel, we recommend asking your friends and family for lifts or using any accessible public transportation in your area.
- Schedule home deliveries
No matter how well you stock your cupboards, when cold weather has you trapped at home, the essentials will eventually run out and you may have to think about another trip to the shops. If you are worried about navigating the icy streets on your own or your loved ones are concerned about getting their cars through the snow, most supermarkets now do home deliveries and bring your shopping straight to your door. Many pharmacies have started offering a similar service, so you don’t need to worry about your prescriptions running out, either!
Staying Healthy with Winter Nutrition Tips
Our bodies burn much more energy than usual when keeping warm in the winter, which is why maintaining regular eating habits and supplementing meals with essential vitamins and minerals is vital for our health. This can be a difficult adjustment for some elderly people, especially those with a lower appetite due to less physical activity or other health issues, but taking these simple actions may help:
- Supplement your vitamin D intake
From March to September, most people achieve their daily vitamin D intake directly from the sun, but during the darker months, it may be necessary to manually incorporate more into our diets. The easiest way to do this is through supplements, although vitamin D can similarly be found in red meat, oily fish and egg yolks.
- Stay hydrated
Many people make the mistake of not drinking enough during the winter, as they associate water with being cool rather than warm. A hydrated body is more efficient at burning the energy which keeps us warm, which is why it is so important to have regular drinks throughout the day. While tea and coffee are made with water, the caffeine in these drinks actually dehydrates the body, so be sure to have plenty of water in addition to your hot drinks.
- Arrange your vaccinations
Influenza and coronavirus are among the biggest threats to older generations during the winter period. Arranging your vaccinations as early as possible will allow your body to develop immunity at the start of the season, protecting your respiratory health and stopping the spread of disease to any other elderly people you live with or see on a regular basis.
Staying Connected this Winter
Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges faced by the elderly population, with cold weather often increasing isolation. Finding new ways to stay connected with your loved ones or form new connections with other people in your position are excellent ways to look after your mental health while staying physically safe this winter.
- Connect with people online
Social media might seem like something for the younger generations, but there is nothing stopping you from creating your own profile to stay in touch with your family and friends. In addition to text, audio and video chat functions, there are endless online communities for every conceivable niche or interest, so you are sure to find someone who is happy to talk with you about your shared interests.
- Attend local events
Another great aspect of the internet is being able to see the events that are being organised in your local community. From informal trips to restaurants, theatres or other public venues, to events organised by local charities to foster connections between vulnerable communities, you might be surprised to discover how much is happening right on your doorstep!
Blossom Home Care Promotes Safety for Seniors in Winter
Aside from providing bloomin’ good bespoke care plans for individuals with dementia, physical disabilities and other complex care needs, we are dedicated to creating safe environments in which our elderly clients can live life to the fullest throughout the winter months. Whether that means helping you put on your insulated clothing and accompanying you to the shops, preparing healthy meals so you can keep on top of your winter nutrition, or setting up your social media profile and connecting with your loved ones, our care team are eager to tailor their support to your lifestyle.
For more information about any of our services, please contact us today or find your nearest Blossom location by using our simple office finder tool.