Winter Safety Checklist for Seniors: Prepare and Protect

Winter Safety Checklist for Seniors - AmeriBest Home Care

Every winter, we cross our fingers and wish for a magical winter wonderland.
We hope for a dreamy world of white covered treetops and fluffy snow blankets.

After all, what better suits the holidays?

But, with this beauty, comes a bit of danger.
This winter season, prepare and protect your elderly. Let your loved seniors enjoy the crisp, white holiday magic while also staying safe and warm.

How to keep seniors safe in the winter?

The key ingredient to keeping elderly parents safe in the winter is preparation.

It’s extremely important to be ready before the chilly weather hits. Once the snow arrives, it’ll be too late to get what you need. Especially, if you need to order some of the safety equipment online.

So, think smart and plan ahead.
It’s never too early to start prepping for winter safety.

How to prepare your senior for winter weather?

Don’t let the stress of prepping get to your head.
Here’s a winter safety checklist to help protect your senior during the rough winter weather!

  • Shovel – This one’s a no-brainer. You can’t expect your senior to trudge through the thick snow.
  • Car Ice Scraper – If you or your senior have a car, you’re definitely going to want one of these. Particularly, a scraper with an attached snow brush. Otherwise, you might find yourself having quite a hard time driving. After all, we wouldn’t want you to miss any doctor appointments because you couldn’t clean your car of snow and ice.
  • Salts – If you want your loved senior to be able to walk on the paths that you just shoveled, it’s crucial you put down melting salts. Slipping on ice is a huge danger to elderly parents.
  • Candles – Hopefully you won’t need this. But in the case of a snowstorm and/or blackout, you’re going to be glad you had extra candles around. A flashlight works too.
  • Throw Blankets – It’s so important that your senior stays warm. Seniors often get chilly faster than middle-aged adults might. And, with chills can come all sorts of illness. Make sure your senior is feeling warm and toasty inside, no matter how cold it gets outside.
  • Medication Refills – It’s extremely scary when you’re snowed in for a day or two and your senior runs out of his or her medication. Don’t let that happen. If you know a storm is on the horizon, make sure your senior has plenty of pills and vitamins to last through a snowstorm. Put in the orders for refills right away if any are running low.
  • Things That Make Your Senior Happy – Unfortunately, winter is often the time that seasonal depression hits the hardest. Yes, the world is beautiful when covered in snow, but it’s also darker. And, if your senior is stuck at home, it can be a lonely time. Make sure your senior is happy and of high spirits by keeping some favorite things on hand. This could be favorite movies, favorite games, favorite foods. Anything that brings a smile to your senior no matter the circumstance.

5 Holiday Ideas Your Elderly Parents Will Love

5 Holiday Ideas Your Elderly Parents Will Love - AmeriBest Home Care

Holiday planning can be tricky.

Of course, you want your holiday plans to include fun and meaningful activities with your family. But, finding activities that everyone wants to do? Well, it’s not always the easiest thing to accomplish.

Especially with aging parents. Because you have to find activities that go beyond the generation gap. Activities that are easy and easily accessible. Activities that will really bring you and your parents closer together for the holiday season.

It’s a tall order.

Lucky for you, we’ve created a list of 5 wonderful holiday ideas aging parents will love. If you were having trouble making plans, check out this list for some easy, meaningful tips and activities.

Bake some treats.

Everyone loves food.
Particularly holiday treats.

Choose one of your or your parents’ favorite holiday goodies, and bake away!

This is a great activity because it allows you to chat and catch up while doing the activity. And, it’s extremely accommodating. You can bake standing up, sitting down. You can bake more challenging treats like gingerbread houses or easy treats like cake mix brownies.

Baking is so versatile, you can’t go wrong.

Bring out the old photos.

Some of the best memories are created while sharing old memories.
Dust off the old photo albums and pull up some chairs for the whole family to see.

Reminiscing about the good ol’ days is always a fun and meaningful activity. The pictures you find or the memories you recall will make you smile and cry. By the end of the night, you might even find yourself rolling with laughter.

It’s a wonderful experience for all.

Decorate galore.

Where you spend your holidays is almost as important as how you spend your holidays.
If the room is drab and sad, no amount of lively activity will brighten the mood.

So, bring some extra cheer into the house with a bit of decorating!

Like baking, this is another activity that allows you to talk and spend quality time with your elderly parents. Even if they can’t reach all the tall places, they’ll still enjoy chatting while you climb up a ladder.

There’s nothing more magical than creating something together.

See the show.

If you’re looking to get out of the house, some of the most wonderful shows play this time of year. Operas, Broadway shows, plays, or even just movies. Your choices are unlimited.

Find a genre or theme both you and your elderly parents love.
Then buy the tickets, and head on out!

Pro Tip: Plan this activity in advance. Tickets during this season sell out fast!

Book a spa.

Whether it’s foot massages for the dads or manicures for the moms, spas are a great holiday activity.

Not only do spa days get you out of the house, they do so while being easily accessible to aging parents. And, if you can book a room together, you’ll have plenty of time to chat about life and other fun things.

Happy holidays!