{"id":6710,"date":"2016-01-15T11:00:08","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T16:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=6710"},"modified":"2016-01-20T10:08:18","modified_gmt":"2016-01-20T15:08:18","slug":"important-steps-to-to-keep-seniors-safe-at-home-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/important-steps-to-to-keep-seniors-safe-at-home-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Important Steps to Keep Seniors Safe at Home this Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keeping seniors safe during the long, cold winter can be a challenge for family members and caregivers, especially if their seniors live alone. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Loss of heat, power outages, isolation, hypothermia and dehydration are big concerns, as are hazardous road conditions for seniors who are still driving. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0If you have a senior who lives independently, here is a checklist of important steps for keeping them comfortable and good health this winter.\"seniors<\/a><\/p>\n

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1. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Check the Heating System<\/em><\/h2>\n

Check the furnace –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>To avoid problems with the heating system when winter is in full swing, schedule a furnace inspection early in the season. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Have the contractor clean or replace filters and make any necessary repairs.<\/p>\n

Pre-schedule fuel deliveries<\/strong> — Early in the heating season, schedule a delivery of home heating oil or propane and monitor fuel levels as winter progresses. When levels fall below a quarter of tank, schedule a fuel delivery.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Financially-strapped seniors may be eligible for state aid to purchase heating fuel. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0(See the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services<\/a><\/strong> website for information on state and utility-funded energy programs).<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a>Install a freeze emergency alarm<\/strong> — To receive an alert that your senior\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s home has lost heat due to a furnace failure or power outage, set up a freeze alarm<\/a><\/strong> that will automatically contact a family member or caregiver when the indoor temperature plummets. Depending upon the model you pick, the freeze alarm will either call, text or email you, other family members or a neighbor. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Click here<\/a><\/strong> for information on how to pick the best freeze alarm for your senior’s home.<\/p>\n

Add a remote thermostat<\/strong> — If your senior’s home has an Internet connection, consider replacing their manual thermostat with an Internet remote thermostat<\/a><\/strong> that allows you to remotely monitor and adjust the temperature in your senior’s home from anywhere so you can be sure that they are warm and comfortable at all times. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0With a Venstar ColorTouch<\/a><\/strong> or BAYWeb<\/a><\/strong> Internet remote thermostat, you can also get high and low temperature alerts.<\/p>\n

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2. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Stock Up on Food, Water and Meds<\/em><\/h2>\n

Buy extra food and bottled water<\/strong> — Prepare your senior for being housebound during inclement weather by stocking\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0the cupboard with a week\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s supply of non-perishable food and a couple of gallons of drinking water. Get your senior a hand-operated can opener to use during power outages.<\/p>\n

\"Med-E-Lert<\/a>Fill prescription medications<\/strong> –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t let important meds run low during the winter. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Switch your senior\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s prescriptions to a local pharmacy that makes home deliveries or sign up with a mail order pharmacy so no one has to venture out in bad weather to pick up medications. Get them an automatic pill dispenser<\/a><\/strong> or the innovative\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cReminder Rosie\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d voice controlled clock<\/a><\/strong> to remind your senior when its time to take her meds.<\/p>\n

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3. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Prepare for Power Outages<\/em><\/h2>\n

Provide an alternative source of heat<\/strong> –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Seniors should have a safe (non-electric) way to stay warm during power outages, such as a wood stove, kerosene heater or efficient wood-burning fireplace. But since burning wood or kerosene can produce deadly CO gases<\/a><\/strong>,\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Make sure the area is properly ventilated and install a carbon monoxide detector<\/a><\/strong> and a smoke detector<\/a><\/strong>. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Better still is a monitoring system like the\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Sensaphone 400<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0smoke\/CO detector<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0accessory that will automatically send telephone alerts to family or friends if there is a smoke or toxic gas emergency.<\/p>\n

Stockpile flashlights and extra batteries<\/strong> — Make sure your senior has adequate lighting sources during blackouts. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0In addition to conventional flashlights, get your senior a\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0hand-crank flashlight<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0that works without\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0batteries. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0For instant illumination in key rooms and hallways, plug in automatic rechargeable nightlights<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0that light up when the power goes out.<\/p>\n

\"FreedomAlert<\/a>Give them a reliable way to call for help\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>–\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0A power outage can make it difficult or impossible for seniors to get help, especially if there is a medical emergency. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Set them up with a personal emergency alert system<\/a><\/strong> so they can contact family, friends or emergency services if they need assistance, such as the wireless Freedom Alert<\/a><\/strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0that allows two-way communication with family and friends plus the ability to call 911. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Or consider a smartphone-controlled system like the Oplink Connected Care<\/a><\/strong> that lets family and caregivers monitor live video of their senior on a smartphone.<\/p>\n

Keep their cell phone charged<\/strong> — Staying in touch with the outside world during a power outage is important for home-alone seniors, but keeping mobile devices charged is a problem without electricity. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Get your senior an emergency cell phone charger like the PowerNow Grande<\/a><\/strong> and they’ll be able to power up their cell phone during prolonged power outages.<\/p>\n

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4. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Encourage Good Health Habits<\/em><\/h2>\n

Prevent dehydration<\/strong> –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Remind your senior to eat well-balanced meals that include lots of vegetables and fruits and drink plenty of water.<\/p>\n

\"OMRON<\/a>Avoid hypothermia<\/strong> –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Older adults are especially\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0vulnerable to hypothermia<\/a><\/strong>, which can be deadly if not treated quickly. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0To avoid danger, seniors should stay inside during extreme cold and windy weather; keep their home heated to between 68o\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 70o\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/sup>F; and dress in layers including long underwear, socks, slippers and sweaters. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0If you want to make your senior really happy and comfortable, install a remote controlled wireless thermostat<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>in their home and they\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll be able to adjust the heat without getting up from their seat!<\/p>\n

Encourage indoor exercise<\/strong> –\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Seniors who are mobile should move their bodies by walking in place or doing laps around the house.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Wearing a\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0pedometer<\/a><\/strong> or heart rate monitor<\/a><\/strong> can encourage movement while helping them exercise within safe limits<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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More Info on Seniors at Home<\/em><\/h2>\n

For additional information on how to help your senior continue to live safely in their own home, read “There’s No Place Like Home — For Growing Old”<\/a><\/strong> on the NIH website and take a look at the many articles on Independent Living<\/a><\/strong> found in the diycontrols.com weekly blog.<\/p>\n

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Keeping seniors safe during the long, cold winter can be a challenge for family members and caregivers, especially if their seniors live alone. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Loss of heat, power outages, isolation, hypothermia and dehydration are big concerns, as are hazardous road conditions for seniors who are still… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,9,189],"tags":[747,347,200,688,421,691,552,685,313,11,457,410,526,647,419,315,553,515,514,680,160,276,741,348,174],"class_list":["post-6710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freeze-alarms-heat-alarms","category-home-monitoring-security","category-independent-living-aid","tag-automatic-nightlight","tag-automatic-pill-dispenser","tag-bayweb-internet-thermostat","tag-carbon-monoxide-alarms","tag-carbon-monoxide-detectors","tag-co-detectors","tag-emergency-cell-phone-charger","tag-featured","tag-freedom-alert","tag-freeze-alarms-2","tag-hand-crank-flashlight","tag-heart-rate-monitor","tag-medication-reminder","tag-oplink-connected-care","tag-pedometers","tag-personal-emergency-response-systems","tag-rechargeable-nightlight","tag-reminder-clock","tag-reminder-rosie-clock","tag-remote-thermostat-control","tag-remote-thermostats","tag-smoke-detectors","tag-venstar-colortouch-wifi-thermostat","tag-wireless-remote-theromostats","tag-wireless-thermostats","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6710"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6759,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6710\/revisions\/6759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}