More bitter cold weather is predicted by this weekend, with high temperatures in single digits, and while the freezing forecast is hard on all of us, it’s particularly tough for Iowa’s oldest residents.
Stephanie Humphries owns Right at Home operations in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, offering in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. She says gauging an older person’s capabilities may involve nudging them to make a shift in thinking.
“Do they have someone arranged to clear their sidewalks or driveways?” Humphries says. “Some of our older adults maybe still try to do those things themselves, but they really need to evaluate what their mobility is like and what their balance is like.”
Even if there hasn’t been snow, sidewalks can be slippery. If they’re venturing out, Humphries says seniors need to have good footwear for the weather, like shoes or boots with a solid rubber sole.
“A lot of our older adults use walking devices to help them keep their balance,” she says. “There are attachments that you can get, just nice little gadgets that you can put on the bottoms of canes and walkers to help them navigate through the snowy and icy weather.”
Older homes may need a little TLC in order to become more energy efficient during the frigid winters, and that costs money. Humphries says many Iowa communities have help available for seniors, someone who can come in and do minor jobs, often for free.
“There’s Aging Services through UnityPoint,” she says. “They’ve got a lot of different volunteers that can come in and help in the home, and then also can contract with individuals that, let’s say they’re retired contractors, or handy men, handy women, that can come in and do some renovations to the home.”
When the weather’s especially wicked, it’s a good idea to check in on our elderly friends and loved ones, by phone, text, email or just dropping by. Still, how often should you do that to show you care, without being annoying?
“It’s going to depend on your loved one, and what they’re contending with from a medical standpoint,” Humphries says, “but anywhere from one to three times a week, probably depending on, again, what their loved one’s living situation is like, and maybe their age, and abilities.”
She says it’s also a good idea to make sure they’re stocked up on all needed prescription medications and on non-perishable food items, just in case the weather turns really bad and you can’t stop by in person.