Our first suggestion goes hand in hand with keeping warm this winter, but has so much more to do with keeping safe: make sure your home has carbon monoxide alarms. These alarms will be lifesavers if your home or your senior’s home has a gas leak. These leaks are usually due to furnace issues, but can happen in a variety of other ways. Most carbon monoxide alarms are around $20 and they and their battery have a life of around eight years.
So now that your senior is safe, let’s make sure they’re comfortable. While younger people may think nothing of taking off their coat at home and spending the evening in a long-sleeved shirt, older people get colder more easily. This can be due to muscle and fat loss. Make sure your senior has plenty of sweaters around, along with lots of throws. And keep in mind that regular sweaters might prove too tough to put on and take off without help. Some seniors find cardigans much easier to navigate. Make sure to check oft-worn items regularly, to see if there are holes or if they need a wash. As eyesight gets worse, seniors may not notice smaller flaws.
Watch out for space heaters. These should not be left on for long periods of time, or left unattended. While it may seem like it makes more sense to just heat the one room where your senior spends the most amount of their time, if they have a small home or apartment, having the central heat on instead might prove less expensive. To be sure, you would have to try out each option for a month, and compare the electric bill to the heating bill at the end. But it is definitely safer to use the central heating than a space heater, which can be knocked over or forgotten.
What are some tips you use to keep your senior, or yourself, warm when the temperature drops? It’s already been quite cold across the country this season, so we’d love to hear more ideas.
