Essential Senior Care Tips for Staying Safe in Cold Weather
Cold weather poses unique challenges for older individuals, making it essential to take proactive measures to protect their well-being. In this article, we will explore a few senior care tips, aimed at helping your senior loved one stay safe and warm during the colder months.
Senior Care Tips for Preventing Falls
Among individuals aged 65 or older in Canada, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and injury deaths. These falls not only diminish the quality of life for older adults but also increase caregiver demands and often lead to admissions into long-term care facilities.
While we can’t control the weather, there are a few cold weather safety tips for older adults that you can follow to make a senior’s environment safer when lower temperatures increase the risk of a fall.
Make sure outside walkways are clear of snow and ice by using an ice melt product or sand.
Seniors should avoid shoveling snow themselves because, in addition to the risk of falling, older adults risk suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow.
While walking outside in cold weather, seniors can use available railings to help avoid slipping on icy walkways and stairs.
When outside, seniors should also wear traction-enhancing footwear with nonslip soles.
Home care assistance can play an important role in preventing falls and making a senior’s home a safer place, not just in winter, but throughout the year. As part of our home care services in Calgary and the surrounding areas, our professional caregivers can help your senior loved one move around safely, and make their home safer by addressing fall hazards. If your senior loved one could use a little extra help around the house, make sure you connect with the Foothills Home Services team. For more tips on keeping your senior companion safe in winter, visit our Home Care Diaries!
Why Nutrition and Hydration Matter in Senior Care
While nutrition is a priority all year round, making sure your senior loved one maintains a healthy diet and stays properly hydrated is also a crucial aspect of senior care in cold weather. Consuming a well-balanced diet rich in essential nutrients can significantly boost the body's immune system and improve overall health during cold weather. This means incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into daily meals.
It is also essential for seniors to drink an adequate amount of fluids throughout the day, even if they don't feel thirsty. Dehydration is still a risk during winter, and as we age our risk of dehydration increases due to changes in body composition. Older adults, specifically those aged 65 and above have less water in their bodies than younger adults or children, so these older adults end up being more susceptible to dehydration.
At Foothills Home Services, we understand the importance of nutrition and hydration for seniors, especially during the colder months. That’s why we offer seniors receiving our home care services in Calgary and beyond support with grocery shopping, meal planning, meal preparation, and more. With our home care services, you can be confident that your senior loved one is receiving the necessary nutrition and hydration they need to thrive during the winter season.
Top Tips for Keeping Warm in a Senior Care Setting
Wearing multiple layers of clothing is arguably one of the best ways to stay warm in cold weather. In fact, if a person is wearing several thin layers of clothing, that will keep them warmer than wearing one thick layer. That’s because the layers of fabric trap warm air between them. Here are a few tips for layering your clothes that you can use to help your senior loved one keep warm in cold weather.
First, select a breathable base layer (this is the layer closest to the skin). When it's cold we can lose heat through evaporation, which is when sweat turns into gas and takes some of our body heat with it. Breathable fabrics help us avoid this by letting air pass through them, which makes sweat evaporate faster and keeps us dry. Clothes that retain moisture, on the other hand, are those that soak up sweat but do not dry quickly. These clothes keep sweat close to the skin, which can make us feel cold and damp.
The base layer is about controlling sweat and evaporation, but the mid-layers are about maintaining warmth. Wearing one or two breathable fleeces would be considered as having a good mid-layer. In really cold weather, some sites even recommend adding a soft shell jacket as part of the mid-layers. With your senior loved one’s mid-layers sorted, it’s on to the outer layer, whose main function is to protect from the elements. This can mean wearing a wind and/or rainproof coat if they’re heading outdoors into the cold weather. With all of the layers taken care of, it’s important for seniors to wear warm accessories like hats and gloves, especially if they are going outdoors. If they are staying indoors, you can even add a blanket to their list of layers.
Seniors may be faced with certain medical conditions that make it harder for them to stay warm in cold weather. For example, seniors with memory problems may forget to wear weather-appropriate clothing. Arthritis can make it more difficult for a person to put on more clothes, and diabetes can prevent blood from flowing normally to provide warmth. Foothills Home Services can help your senior loved one with a range of day-to-day tasks including getting dressed as part of our Elderly Personal Care & Senior Support Services.
Foothills Home Services Is Here to Help with Your Senior Care Needs!
Are you considering professional home care assistance for your senior loved one? Look no further than Foothills Home Services. Our compassionate caregivers are committed to providing the best care possible, ensuring that your loved one feels safe, comfortable, and happy in the comfort of their own home. With our comprehensive range of home care services available in Calgary and beyond, you can have peace of mind knowing that your senior loved one will receive the support they need to confidently and safely navigate their daily activities, whatever the weather. Reach out to us to learn more about our home care services in Calgary and the surrounding areas.
