While a winter wonderland can be beautiful, it can also be hazardous to seniors. Being prepared and knowing how to cope with cold weather can help everyone enjoy the season and give loved ones a sense of security. Janine Telischak, Therapy Partners at Jennings Center for Older Adults, offers the following safety tips for seniors and their families this winter season:
Snow and Ice
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Use tennis balls on walkers or add an ice grip to a cane. Both easily purchased at a medical supply store.
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Wear gloves and keep your hands out of your pockets. Use your arms to keep your balance.
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While walking, try pointing your feet outwards (like a penguin) to increase your center of gravity.
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If you fall, try to relax. A softer, relaxed body will injure less than a rigid one.
Cold and Flu
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Wash hands regularly in tepid water.
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Cover your cough and sneeze with your elbow/sleeve of your shirt, instead of your hand, to decrease spread of germs.
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If you are sick, be sure to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
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Use a cold air humidifier for regular use throughout your home, especially in bedrooms. Dry air breeds increased bacterial and viral activity.
Dry Skin
As we get older our skin becomes thinner and can tear more easily. Moisturizing is very important, as well as making sure to drink enough fluids. Both help to prevent skin tears or cracked skin, which can lead to infection, open wounds and illness.
Hypothermia
Colder temperatures are more dangerous for older adults because they have slower metabolisms and skin that has begun to thin. As we age, it also becomes more difficult to tell when our body temperature is too low. Some conditions will also make it harder to regulate body temperature, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, psoriasis and vascular diseases.
In cold weather our hearts have to work harder. Pay close attention to how you are feeling and breathing when outside. Do not rely on shivering as a sign, as older adults actually tend not to shiver as their bodies get colder.
January 22-28, 2012 is a special week to celebrate the nation’s Activity Professionals. These dedicated women and men who help adults maintain a healthier, more active mental outlook, which relates directly to improved quality of life.
Activities professionals help to enrich the lives of older adults in long-term care residences, senior centers, retirement communities, day programs, and apartments. They provide a variety of programming related to community involvement, mental stimulation, community service, physical well-being and all types of activities to maintain normal life pursuits for our nation’s elders. Every activity is designed to meet the needs of the individual. They work in tandem with health care professionals, care providers, and regulatory agencies to enhance the lives of those they serve.
Here at Jennings, the life enrichment staff has the overall responsibility of meeting the leisure and recreation needs of the residents. They are here to ensure the emotional, recreational, spiritual, intellectual and creative needs of the residents are met. They are also a part of the interdisciplinary team, which discusses the care of each resident quarterly and develops activity plans of care based on each resident’s individual needs. Every resident at Jennings has either an activity care plan or activity approaches on another interdisciplinary care plans. Every activity is not for every resident. It is part of their role to assess and determine the appropriate activities for each resident.
Did you know…
- Something as simple as a singalong or musical activity enhances memory recall, encourages socialization, helps identify feelings such as warmth, happy, sad, relieves spiritual needs, relieves depression, allows for expression and creativity, and stimulates ears, vocal cords and facial muscles.
- Crafts and art activities provide opportunities for self-expression and creativity, improve coordination and flexibility, build confidence, enhance leisure skills, promote knowledge for new interests, provide a sense of achievement, relieve tensions, and help retain fine motor skills.
- Religious programs relieve spiritual needs, invoke feelings from the past, promote community integration, elevate emotional well-being, reduce anxiety, provide for socialization, and provide opportunities for reminiscence.
- Activities such as trivia, spelling bees, reminiscent groups, hangman, etc. stimulates the intellect, improves memory recall, increases long term memory, invokes feelings from the past, stimulates conversation, increases socialization, increases knowledge, and improves self-esteem.
- Entertainment activities provide auditory and visual sensory stimulation, help relieve depression, promote socialization, and help control emotional tensions.
NAP Week was created by the National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP) to provide a format for facilities to honor and recognize the dedicated activity professionals who contribute significantly to the residents’ quality of life. Visit www.thenaap.com for more information.
