If winter hasn’t knocked on your door yet, you can bet that it’s down the block. Winter can be a beautiful time of the year, but in the northern states, it can also be one of the most dangerous, especially for the elderly.
Changes that have naturally occurred in your loved one’s body, as well as possible medication side effects and other health issues, can make it more difficult than ever for your loved one to be aware that they’re too cold. And while being cold for a short while usually has no dangerous effects, being consistently cold is dangerous, and for many elderly, the biggest danger occurs when they’re in their home.
Personal care at home services can help your loved one with support and strategies to stay warm in the wintertime.
Medical Conditions That Can Make Staying Warm Inside More Difficult
Some chronic health conditions can make it more difficult for your elderly loved one to stay warm during colder months. If your loved one has diabetes, a thyroid problem, or takes medications that make it difficult for her body to retain heat, she can make herself more susceptible to hypothermia.
Other health conditions, such as arthritis or Parkinson’s disease, can make getting dressed warm enough difficult, and memory problems, such as dementia, can prevent your loved one from understanding when she needs to put on more clothes to stay warm.
Personal care at home professionals can help seniors with these health conditions and others to stay healthy during the colder months.
Six Tips for Helping Your Elderly Loved One Stay Warm While Inside This Winter
While most people understand the basic steps for staying warm when they have to be outside during the cold winter months, it’s easy to forget that staying warm enough indoors is just as important.
- Set the thermostat correctly. Sixty degrees might seem warm compared to the below-freezing temps outside, but a cool home can lead to hypothermia in seniors. Keep the thermostat at least 68 degrees to protect your loved one. If cost is a factor, there are often resources you can seek out to help your elderly loved one pay for her heat bill.
- Keep out drafts. Drafts can come in from under doors, through the windows, or through the vents. Older homes are often quite drafty, and that can make your elderly loved one sick.
- Dress in layers. Layers can help trap body heat and keep your loved one warmer than one thick layer. They can also be removed more easily if your loved one starts being active and gets warm.
- Wear something on the feet at all times. Even if the house isn’t too cold, bare floors can become quite chilled, and that cold can make your loved one’s feet hurt and bring down her body temperature.
- Make sure she has plenty of blankets on her bed and wears nice and warm pajamas each night.
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol can make the body lose heat more quickly.
Staying Warm with Personal Care at Home Services
If your loved one needs someone to help her with personal care at home during the cold months, a trained home care provider can help. A personal care at home provider can ensure she’s dressed appropriately each day and monitor her thermostat and home temperature.
Personal care at home providers can also support your loved one by assisting with meals that provide the calories her body needs to maintain warmth this winter.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Parker, CO, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Denver, CO, today. Call (303) 647-1800
At Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Denver CO, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Denver, Englewood, Lakewood, Aurora, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Centennial, Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Castle Rock and surrounding areas in Colorado.
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