Senior Home Safety during Winter

Home Safety Winter

We need to be aware for our loved ones about Senior Home Safety especially during the Winter months. Here is a quick guide to help you keep your senior loved one safe.

Outside

Snow: It may surprise you to know that Property owners or tenants are responsible for shoveling the snow and removing ice from in front of their homes! This may be tough for our senior loved ones. Check in with neighbors who might lend a hand. Some elderly home owners or people with disabilities may have physical challenges or risk injury in the snow and ice. There are groups in your local church who offer aide to members and non-members.

Keep your footing: Don’t Slip! Walking in the winter can be tough stay safe and read these tips for Safe Footing

Downed Trees: Keep trees trimmed away from your home. These could break during wind storms or under heavy snow or ice and could damage your home. Report downed trees to the city where you live. In Portland dial 503-823-T-R-E-E

Indoors

Local fire departments report an uptick in families using space heaters to keep rooms warm. First, stay safe when heating rooms in your home. Be cautious when using space heaters. Buy a new one each year, they should comply with the latest codes. Last, we urge you not to cover them with flammable material.

Carbon monoxide

Alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating or cooking can cause carbon monoxide to build up — in a home, garage, or camper — and to poison the people and animals inside. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion. If you suspect someone has been poisoned by carbon monoxide, get to fresh air immediately, and call 9-1-1. Here are some basic safe home heating tips:

Install a carbon monoxide detector
Test your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
Have any furnace or chimney inspected and serviced by a professional
Never use the oven to heat the home
Don’t leave fires unattended
Turn off space heaters when you leave
If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company or fire department.

First, check with your church family. Your local churches have many avenues to help your senior loved one whether they are a member or not, help is near. Many agencies, such as Multnomah County, do their best to help people who struggle to afford their winter heating bill. Contact 2-1-1 info to find agencies that can help with heating bills. Multnomah County also offers a weatherization program for low-income families who want to make their homes more energy efficient or to have a furnace inspected.

When the lights go out

So, have a flashlight or prepare a safety kit check it to make its up to date and verify batteries work. After a storm, avoid walking near downed or low-hanging power lines. Finally, when the lights go out, here’s who to call:

PGE: Report an outage. or check the outage map
Pacific Power: Report an outage or check the outage map

Housing Resources from Golden Placements:

In conclusion, Winter months get tough and this may be a good time to find a place for mom! We can help! Here are more resources to help you learn more about How to Cope with Moving Transitions:

Diane Delaney, Placement Specialist Extraordinaire

Diane Delaney, Golden Placement Services — Diane Delaney

Delaney is the founder of Golden Placement Services. She began this business with a healthy dose of compassion for helping families make educated decisions regarding senior placement. Focused to relieve stress in uncertain senior housing crucial moments. Diane brings about loving change of lifestyle with grace. Additionally, Diane is an accomplished executive manager, Director of Operations in senior housing. Emphatically, she enjoys sharing her experience by writing about the full spectrum of the transition process for seniors and family members. Read more from Senior Placement Specialist Diane: Ultimate Senior Living Resource Guide >>

LaVona Tombrelin, Senior Placement Specialist

Tombrelin brings a high level of education and experience to you as your Senior Placement Specialist at GPS. She loves writing about improving the lives of Elderly working in private care and in-home care for over 36 years. Geriatrics, Memory Care. Plus, she holds Master of Psychology Behavioral Health with the goal of advocating for those who needed a voice. Basically, LaVona believes helping the families to make good decisions and to relieve their stress in uncertain times makes life worthwhile!

Learn More: Read articles from Placement Specialist LaVona: End of Life Transition a heart felt Guide >>