AddThis

Bookmark and Share

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Help Seniors Winterize their Home: Suggestions

Help Seniors Winterize Their Homes


Winter months can be particularly harsh for seniors, especially for those who live in northern states where temperatures are coldest. It is important that the ones you love stay safe during the winter season. Their safety includes not just dressing appropriately for the weather but also making sure their homes are in good shape to face the dangerous drops in temperature.

Depending on where your senior loved one lives, you may have very little to do to ensure winter safety in and around their home. However, for the colder regions, that to-do list may be quite long. The following are a few pointers to help you get started when visiting your loved ones this season.

Exterior

Install weather strips around doors and caulk windows to keep cold air out and warm air inside. Insulate exposed pipes to protect them from freezing. Seal any holes in the house’s foundation to keep animals from crawling underneath the house for shelter. Clean out gutters and ensure spouts are clear so any water flows away from the house. For locations that expect extended temperatures of 32 degrees or below, install additional insulation in the attic for protection. Check to make sure all snow and de-icing equipment is in working order. Ice-melt salt or sand is handy and provides additional safety during icy times. Drain gas from mowers and water from garden hoses.


Interior

Make sure the furnace is in good working order and clear any materials that may become a fire hazard. Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and store enough batteries for both. Have other heating units inspected and serviced. Clean the fireplace and leave wood in easy reach for seniors to use. If your loved one does not already have one, purchase a fire extinguisher and teach him or her how to use it.

Emergency Preparations

Now is also a good time to create bad weather emergency kits for the home and even the car. For the house, make sure there are plenty of extra water bottles, candles, matches or lighters, flashlights and batteries in case of a power outage. Canned food and other non-perishable items should be stored for this purpose, as well. Keeping flashlights on the bedside table in case of such emergencies is also a good idea.



Emergency kits for cars are just as essential. While you do not want to store water in the car during freezing temperatures, you can keep a to-go bag by the door for outings. Inside this bag include plenty of water, some snacks or other easy-to-eat non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, and a cell phone charger for the car. Packing a warm change of clothes or a blanket may be a good idea. Better to be safe than sorry if your loved one’s car happens to slide off of an icy road. At least the senior will be prepared to wait for help.

Also keep in mind the chance of falling inside or outside dramatically increases during the winter. Snow and ice are not a senior's friend. One fall inside or outside can result in a person laying unattended to for several hours. During the winter with the house closed up tight or high snow banks neighbors don't always see or hear your loved one on a regular basis the way they do in the summer.

During this holiday season considering giving your aging loved one the gift of a Personal Emergency Response System. For more information, contact me by clicking HERE.






References

Weintraub, Elizabeth. Winterizing your home. Preparing your home for winter. Retrieved on October 30, 2011, from http://homebuying.about.com/od/buyingahome/qt/92607_WinmterHom.ht

No comments:

Post a Comment