The winter season comes with all the holiday delights – lights, music… COLD! However, the hazards of this season make safety for seniors a particularly important concern. Even in the San Jose Bay Area, where the winter is mild, there are some challenges to senior safety. Some common risk areas are:

• Increased risk of falls: Winter in the bay area means rains, high winds and dark afternoons resulting in wet and slippery sidewalks and not enough sunlight to see very well. Seniors can slip and fall much more easily. Broken hips are a common occurrence in the elderly and can be serious enough to cause loss of independence. Seniors should wear skid-proof shoes when going out and try to stay on dry walkways.
• Hazards of driving: Wet roads can make driving in the winter dangerous. Storms can cause loose branches and other objects to fly around, early sunset and low light conditions all add to the hazards of driving especially for seniors. To ensure their safety seniors should request help from family, friends, or caregivers to get to their appointments and other driving needs.
• Risk of hypothermia: Seniors are particularly sensitive to cold. It is important for seniors to stay warm whether indoors or outdoors in order to prevent hypothermia. Often a senior may not even realize that their body temperature has fallen. Home heating systems should be set to automatically maintain a comfortable temperature.
• Seasonal depression: Depression is very common among the elderly in the winter months. The gloomy weather conditions can make anyone feel demotivated. The hazardous conditions of winter also cause many seniors to be housebound and can cause “cabin fever”. Going to community centers, libraries or even stores can be a welcome change and support elder well-being.

CLOVERLEAF CARE provides winter care packages to allow seniors to remain safe and to promote the health and well-being of the elderly. Our Homecare Aides(HCAs) help you or your loved one by:

• Preventing the risk of falling: Our HCAs can run your errands for you – buying groceries, picking up prescriptions, and also accompany you to your appointments. This will ensure your safety in wet, windy and dark conditions when it can be easy to fall and injure yourself. Our personalized Care Plan, created individually for each client, documents higher fall risk in clients who are more prone to falling. Our HCAs are oriented on each client's Care Plan and take necessary precautions against falling for our higher risk clients.
• Preventing driving hazards: The winter months make driving particularly difficult. The roads can be wet and slippery, the failing light can make it difficult to see well, and it does not help that it becomes dark so much earlier. Our HCAs can drive you to your appointments or social visits that you would like to make to keep you or your loved one safe from unwanted accidents.
• Providing personal care: Many seniors begin to neglect their personal hygiene during the winter months. Our HCAs can assist your loved one with their bathing, grooming, and other personal care needs. This is especially important as the cold weather causes excessive skin dryness. Regular shower and proper skin care is needed to support the senior’s well-being.
• Preventing seasonal depression: The weather conditions during the winter months often ‘traps’ a senior in their home. The wet and gloomy conditions and being stuck at home can cause a senior to get depressed. Our HCAs can support you or your loved one’s mental well-being by providing companionship, accompanying the senior to social visits to make them feel more cheerful or even make a pleasant outing to the mall, library or to a store. 
• Providing peace of mind to family members: If you have an elderly loved one that lives far away from you, do you worry about their well being? With our home care services you gain a partner – someone who understands your concerns and shares your goal to keep your loved one safe. You can use our Visit-on-Demand service plan to have us stop by to check up on your loved ones so you can have that added peace of mind.

The Care you Choose Matters. Experience the difference with Cloverleaf Care's Home Care Services.

The winter season comes with all the holiday delights – lights, music… COLD! However, the hazards of this season make safety for seniors a particularly important concern. Even in the San Jose Bay Area, where the winter is mild, there are some challenges to senior safety. Some common risk areas are:

• Increased risk of falls: Winter in the bay area means rains, high winds and dark afternoons resulting in wet and slippery sidewalks and not enough sunlight to see very well. Seniors can slip and fall much more easily. Broken hips are a common occurrence in the elderly and can be serious enough to cause loss of independence. Seniors should wear skid-proof shoes when going out and try to stay on dry walkways.
• Hazards of driving: Wet roads can make driving in the winter dangerous. Storms can cause loose branches and other objects to fly around, early sunset and low light conditions all add to the hazards of driving especially for seniors. To ensure their safety seniors should request help from family, friends, or caregivers to get to their appointments and other driving needs.
• Risk of hypothermia: Seniors are particularly sensitive to cold. It is important for seniors to stay warm whether indoors or outdoors in order to prevent hypothermia. Often a senior may not even realize that their body temperature has fallen. Home heating systems should be set to automatically maintain a comfortable temperature.
• Seasonal depression: Depression is very common among the elderly in the winter months. The gloomy weather conditions can make anyone feel demotivated. The hazardous conditions of winter also cause many seniors to be housebound and can cause “cabin fever”. Going to community centers, libraries or even stores can be a welcome change and support elder well-being.

CLOVERLEAF CARE provides winter care packages to allow seniors to remain safe and to promote the health and well-being of the elderly. Our Homecare Aides(HCAs) help you or your loved one by:

• Preventing the risk of falling: Our HCAs can run your errands for you – buying groceries, picking up prescriptions, and also accompany you to your appointments. This will ensure your safety in wet, windy and dark conditions when it can be easy to fall and injure yourself. Our personalized Care Plan, created individually for each client, documents higher fall risk in clients who are more prone to falling. Our HCAs are oriented on each client's Care Plan and take necessary precautions against falling for our higher risk clients.
• Preventing driving hazards: The winter months make driving particularly difficult. The roads can be wet and slippery, the failing light can make it difficult to see well, and it does not help that it becomes dark so much earlier. Our HCAs can drive you to your appointments or social visits that you would like to make to keep you or your loved one safe from unwanted accidents.
• Providing personal care: Many seniors begin to neglect their personal hygiene during the winter months. Our HCAs can assist your loved one with their bathing, grooming, and other personal care needs. This is especially important as the cold weather causes excessive skin dryness. Regular shower and proper skin care is needed to support the senior’s well-being.
• Preventing seasonal depression: The weather conditions during the winter months often ‘traps’ a senior in their home. The wet and gloomy conditions and being stuck at home can cause a senior to get depressed. Our HCAs can support you or your loved one’s mental well-being by providing companionship, accompanying the senior to social visits to make them feel more cheerful or even make a pleasant outing to the mall, library or to a store. 
• Providing peace of mind to family members: If you have an elderly loved one that lives far away from you, do you worry about their well being? With our home care services you gain a partner – someone who understands your concerns and shares your goal to keep your loved one safe. You can use our Visit-on-Demand service plan to have us stop by to check up on your loved ones so you can have that added peace of mind.

The Care you Choose Matters. Experience the difference with Cloverleaf Care's Home Care Services.