As we get older, most of us have a love-hate relationship with winter. Though we enjoy the quiet beauty of falling snow and pristine, white fields, we frown on heavy snow and sheets of ice, which create dangerous walking and driving conditions.
Retirees living in an independent living retirement community, or a personal care or assisted living home, enjoy a measure of safety not readily available to those in private residences. At Country Meadows Retirement Communities, we prioritize the well-being of our retirees all year long, but particularly so in wintertime. We realize that doctor’s appointments, trips to the store and family visits don’t stop during the winter. And so we have established procedures to remove snow and ice as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
Our goal is to ensure that sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking lots and streets are cleared of heavy snow and treacherous ice immediately after snow, sleet or freezing rain. This means that our dedicated maintenance staff is kept busy with de-icing, shoveling, snow blowing and plowing during harsh winter weather.
At the same time, retirement home residents must exercise extra care and caution to help ensure their safety. Following are a few wintertime reminders for anyone, regardless of their senior living situation.
When seniors fall, they often break bones, twist joints or, at least, get very sore. According to the National Council on the Aging, of adults over 65 who fall, 25-30 percent suffer a severe injury such as a hip fracture or head injury. To reduce chances of falling:
• Assume that all wet, dark areas on pavements are slippery ice patches.
• Wear shoes or boots that provide traction (not smooth soles or heels).
• Use the car for support when entering or exiting it.
• Walk on designated walkways, rather than taking short-cuts.
Also, reduce risk of hypothermia and frostbite by dressing warmly in layers. In frigid temperatures, cover all skin, using a scarf to cover your mouth and protect your lungs.
At Country Meadows, we place the safety and health of residents above everything in our caring and dynamic senior community. If you are entertaining thoughts of a move to a Pennsylvania or Maryland retirement home, we would like to meet and talk with you about the services that Country Meadows can offer you or your loved one.
We invite you to visit any of our senior living communities in Pennsylvania or Maryland. Please contact us to schedule a visit or request information.
Country Meadows
