By Teresa Carr
Adams County Senior Council
Administrative Assistant
Check Your Neighbor – Health and Safety Resources from the Ohio Department of Aging.
With the recent weather we have had, neighbors and especially older adults may need to be checked up on to ensure that they are ok and have the resources needed to stay safe and healthy.
You can check in on an older loved one or neighbor by telephone, video call, or in-person. If visiting their home, consider your own safety and wear a face mask, maintain 6 feet distance, and wash hands or use hand sanitizer often.
Conduct a Risk Assessment – Does the person depend on oxygen, need help walking, or recently fallen? Is medical attention needed?
Check Vital Supplies:
· Does he or she have access to clean drinking water?
· Does he or she have the ability to cook and safely store food?
· Does he or she have access to healthy, non-perishable food that can be prepared without electricity?
· Does he or she have adequate means to keep the temperature in the home in a comfortable range?
· Does he or she have access to an adequate supply of any prescription or over-the-counter medications to maintain his or her health?
· Can he or she safely store and access his or her medications (some may need to be refrigerated or stored on ice)?
Determine Their Access to Get Help:
· Does he or she have access to a phone that works, even if the power goes out (cordless phones and voice-over-IP service may not work during a power outage)?
· If he or she has a cell phone for emergencies, is the phone sufficiently charged?
· Instead of asking, “do you have someone to call if you need help?” questions such as, “show me how you would call your daughter if you need her to come help” will be more effective.
Winter Check-Ins: Wintry conditions like snow, ice, cold temperatures, and winter storms can disrupt our lives and introduce increased risks for older adults.
· Check their home: Is the temperature comfortable? Are they heating it safely? Is there any damage to their home? Are outdoor walkways clear of snow, ice, and debris?
· Check their health: Do they appear alert and aware? Have they fallen? Are they taking their medications as prescribed? Do they need medical attention?
· Check that their daily needs are being met: Do they have safe food and water? Are they able to do what they need to do? Do they have someone to call for support and a reliable way to call for emergency help if they need it?
Occasionally, during extreme situations, an older adult may appear confused or disoriented. Don’t assume this is a normal reaction or due to dementia. Conditions such as dehydration, stress and fatigue can have the same symptoms. By checking in, you can make a difference on the health and safety of your neighbor and older adults.
Just A Thought: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.