Elder Care Tips: Avoid Hypothermia and Frostbite!
Elder Care in Arlington VA
The cold, often harsh weather of the winter season can be hard on anyone, but it is especially hard on your elderly loved one. Falling temperatures can lead to higher incidences of weather-related health problems, injuries, frostbite, hypothermia, slips and falls. So, it is important that caregivers take the necessary precautions when providing elder care to loved ones during this time of year.
Here is what you will need to know to safeguard your loved one this winter:
Hypothermia
Your elderly loved one’s body produces less heat than it used to making it more difficult for he or she to tell when the temperature is too low. This inability to detect appropriate temperatures poses great risk for your loved one as having his or her body too cold for too long can lead to hypothermia, which is a dangerous drop in body temperature.
Warning signs:
- Shivering
- Cold skin that is pale or ashy
- Feeling very tired
- Confusions and sleepiness
- Feeling weak
- Trouble walking
- Slowed breathing or heart rate
**Call 911 immediately if you think your loved one has hypothermia.**
Reduce the risk:
- Stay Indoors during cold weather, especially if it is also windy.
- Keep indoor temperatures at no lower than 65 degrees.
- If your loved one must go outside, he or she should not stay outside for very long.
- Your loved one should go inside if he or she begins to shiver.
- Make sure that your loved one wears layers; two or three thin layers of loose-fitting clothes should do the trick.
- Your loved one should always wear a hat, gloves or mittens, coat, boots and a scarf to cover mouth and nose.
Frostbite
Frostbite is damage to the skin that can go all the way down to the bone and is caused by extreme cold. It usually affects the nose, ears, toes, cheeks, chin and fingers, and in more severe cases, result in the loss of limbs. If your loved one has heart disease and other circulation problems, then he or she is at greater risk.
Warning signs:
- Skin that’s white or ashy (for people with darker skin) or grayish-yellow
- Skin that feels hard or waxy
- Numbness.
**Get medical attention immediately if you think your loved one has frostbite.**
Reduce the risk:
- Cover Up all parts of your loved one’s body before going outside.
- If your loved one’s skin turns red or dark or begins to hurt, go inside right away.
Frostbite and hypothermia often go hand-in-hand. If your love done has frostbite, he or she may also have hypothermia, so check for those symptoms as well.
Source: healthyaging.org
Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.
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