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5 Wintertime Tips for Seniors

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5 wintertime tips for seniors

The wintertime presents many new environmental challenges for seniors. Gone are the warm days and nights of the summer months and as winter embraces you with its icy grip, you had better be prepared to handle the chill. If you are a senior that dreads the winter months, then here are a few tips to help you navigate the extreme weather conditions and be ready for anything mother nature throws at you.

#1 Eat a High-fat Diet

The first place to start is with your nutrition. The winter months’ demand more from our aging bodies as our metabolism battles to keep our thermal levels high. Eating a diet that is high in nutrient-dense calories is the best way to ensure that your body is fueled and ready to handle the cold weather. Eat lots of quality foods that are high in healthy fats. Salmon, avocados, and nuts are all fantastic sources of healthy fats that provide your body with a sustained energy release.

#2 Dress Warm

The cold temperatures of the winter season send a chill right down to your bones. When we age, our body’s circulatory system begins to lose its efficiency. This resulting loss of blood circulation results in a lack of blood flow to our extremities. That’s why your fingertips, toes, and nose feel like they get cold the fastest. If you do not heat these extremities, you run the risk of developing frostbite. Frostbite creates cell death in your extremities and causes cell necrosis, a blackening of the tissue. Frostbite must be surgically removed, and you may even lose your digits. Remember to bundle up whenever you go outside and keep yourself warm.

#3 Be Prepared for a Medical Emergency

The winter season presents new hazards to us, seniors. Be careful when you take a walk and make sure you survey the sidewalk and street crossings at all times. Black ice develops quickly and is hard to see on the street. The last thing you want is to take a fall on the pavement, or in the driveway on your morning trip out to get the paper.

Keep yourself protected from unknown dangers by signing up for a medical response service. It’s tough to grab the phone in the kitchen when you are in pain in the driveway. A Medalert necklace with an emergency transponder allows you to send an alert to a medical team from any location. Visit the=is site to learn more about this service that could save your life;

#4 What to Do During a Power Outage

The current strain on the electricity grid due to expanding residential and business demand has left it at the mercy of failure. A power failure is inevitable at some point during the winter and its best to be prepared to handle the blackout. Keep a portable generator ready to go with a fail switch that automatically starts the generator when the power fails. Make sure that you are stocked up with firewood, gas, and batteries for your flashlights. Stay warm and keep things well lit during a blackout and you will be fine.

#5 Have You Serviced the Car?

Check on the state of your automobile. Ensuring that the car is serviced and has new windscreen wipers will keep you safe if you get caught in a storm while traveling. Check your fluid levels and top up the anti-freeze before the winter season starts.

The Final Thought

Surviving the winter as a senior is not that difficult provided that you are adequately prepared to meet the challenges of the cold. Follow these five tips, and you will have no problem surviving the winter comfortably.

Image Credits: Flickr