The current winter season has made life tough for everyone. But it is the seniors who are the most impacted by the cold weather. It confines them to homes or other places like the assisted living facilities managed by Star Capital. Seniors have chosen to reside in them for enhanced care and support. Moreover, cold weather curtails their social activities. But what is most concerning is that cold conditions significantly increase health risks to older people due to various reasons. These are declines in the regulation of body temperature due to age, weaker immune systems, and increased prevalence of chronic conditions.
To protect seniors from potential health and safety risks in cold weather, you need to take certain preventive measures. Their implementation helps maintain health and winter wellness for older adults. These measures can be categorized into the following categories
Mind
These measures cater to the maintenance of their mental and emotional well-being.
Body
They are meant to serve their physical health and nutrition.
Safety
These measures are related to maintaining elders’ safety at home or any other living environment they are part of.
Shorter days and limited outdoor activities in cold weather can lead to feelings of isolation among the elderly. Alternatively, this can give rise to Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is a type of depression related to seasonal changes, and it most commonly starts in the fall or winter when sunlight is less. Some symptoms associated with SAD are low mood, fatigue, irritability, and sleep or appetite changes.
Stay Connected Socially
Family members and caregivers can help seniors combat loneliness by scheduling regular phone or video calls that let them interact with their loved ones. They can be encouraged to join local community groups or classes, or discussion forums that are conducted online.
Engage The Mind
Elders can be inspired to take part in various activities and hobbies that keep their brains active. Some of them can be reading books or e-books or solving puzzles. Alternatively, they can participate in creative activities like knitting, painting, or drawing.
Make a Routine
Family members or caregivers can create a daily routine for seniors that they must follow consistently. The routine consists of waking, eating, and sleeping in the time allocated for these activities. Sticking to the routine helps seniors lead a structured and purposeful life during long winter days.
Exposure to Sunlight
You should try to maximize seniors’ exposure to natural light. This includes making them sit near a window during the day. Alternatively, you can contact a healthcare provider to discuss about the use of a light therapy lamp if symptoms of seasonal affective disorder persist. The use of these lamps grants elders benefits like improved mood, better sleep, enhanced cognitive function, etc.
Seek Help
If an elder in your family or facility is struggling with mood, it is better to talk to a doctor.
These tips and recommendations for winter wellness for seniors will help to improve their mental health and emotional well-being.
Maintaining physical health in seniors is as important as maintaining their mental health. This is crucial because exposure to cold weather can make them increasingly susceptible to illness. You can take these beneficial measures to maintain their physical health.
Prioritize Nutrition and Hydration
Seniors should be encouraged to eat a balanced diet as it helps boost their immunity. This diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. Moreover, elderly people should drink an increased amount of fluids like water, herbal teas, and broth. The lack of drinking adequate fluids can lead to dehydration in them if they don’t feel thirsty.
Remain Active Indoors
When there are extremely cold or icy conditions outside, seniors must not go outdoors. They should instead stay indoors and engage themselves in gentle exercises. These exercises can include performing stretching, chair yoga, or tai chi. Alternatively, they can walk around the house or facility. These physical activities help improve their balance, circulation, and mood.
Get Vaccinated
Seniors should remain up-to-date with vaccinations that doctors recommend to them for various medical conditions. They include vaccinations for pneumonia, flu, and COVID-19. Vaccination helps lower the risk and severity of illnesses of a seasonal nature.
Monitor Health Conditions
Exposure to cold weather can give rise to various chronic conditions such as heart disease or arthritis. Therefore, you need to ensure that seniors in your home or facility follow all their regular medical appointments. Moreover, they must follow the instructions imparted by their doctor for effective medication management.
Protect Skin
To protect the skin of seniors from cold-weather-related exposure, you should apply moisturizers and lip balm to their various skin areas. Their application helps combat dryness caused by exposure to cold air and indoor heating.
These senior winter wellness tips for physical health will go a long way in maintaining their physical health and well-being in the cold winter months.
Whether elderly people are living at home or in other places like assisted living facilities governed by Star Capital, winter conditions can pose increased safety risks to them. These particularly include the risks related to falls and hypothermia. These risks can be prevented by implementing these measures
Fall Prevention
As falls can cause serious issues in the elderly, all necessary measures should be taken to prevent them from falling. These include wearing non-skid and rubber-solded footwear with good traction when they need to go outside. Moreover, indoor living spaces should be well-lit. Loose rugs or clutter also need to be removed. This helps prevent tripping of seniors. Furthermore, they should avoid walking on icy sidewalks. They should rather use handrails for support or stay indoors during bad weather conditions.
Stay Warm and Aware
To save seniors from the risk of hypothermia, the thermostat should be set to at least 68°F. This helps keep the indoor areas adequately warm. Furthermore, they should dress in layers even when indoors. Wearing hats, socks, slippers, and blankets can help them retain body heat. In case any signs of hypothermia like cold hands or feet, pale skin, etc. appear, call emergency services immediately. All these measures will help enhance winter safety for older adults.
Prepare for Emergencies
To prepare seniors for emergencies, it is essential to take certain measures. These include getting your furnace or heating system checked annually by professionals. Moreover, you need to ensure that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors have new batteries. Furthermore, you should keep a stock of an emergency kit ready. The kit contains water, non-perishable food, and extra medications.
Moreover, it should contain a flashlight and blankets. You also need to make arrangements for snow shoveling. Furthermore, you should consider using grocery and medication delivery services to reduce the number of outdoor trips.
Family members or caregivers must consider and implement these preventive measures. Their implementation will help improve the physical and mental health of elderly people as well as their safety in homes and other places like assisted living facilities. Star Capital remains dedicated to helping seniors lead better, healthier, safer, and fulfilling lives by providing them with all the necessary facilities and support.
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