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Updated 8/12/15 4:12pm | Alert1 headquarters is located in Pennsylvania and like much of the Gulf and East Coast, we’re bracing ourselves for the oncoming polar vortex. NBC10 First Alert weather reports (and my car windshield confirms) central Pennsylvania will receive nearly 6-10 inches of snow from this arctic blast. As a senior safety company, we recommend caregivers help to prepare seniors for the winter chill.
Rescue workers are on high alert as 30 mph gusts have sent wind chills temperatures into the single digits. Driving in the snow is strongly advised against Several counties have declared a Code Blue until January 5th with the threat of hypothermia and frostbite for seniors and their families.
Elderly and low income state residents are particularly at risk. The strong winds and bitter cold pose dangers such as fallen trees or overturned posts that could strike power lines, essentially leaving residents without heat. Older adults are at a greater health risk because their internal body temperature is more sensitive. Did you know seniors easily contract hypothermia while in a mildly cold room or while indoors?
If you’re concerned about the risks of hypothermia, know the signs and symptoms. Hypothermia can be associated with shallow breathing, weak pulse, confusion or sleeplessness, stiffness in the arms or legs. You also will experience slow or slurred speech, change in behavior or personal appearance and slow reactions or poor control over body movement. In short, caregivers should be on the lookout for stumbling, mumbling, fumbling and grumbling.
Regardless of how you brave the storm, Alert1 medical alerts wishes everyone to stay warm and safe during this cold spell. Get notified instantly if your aging loved ones slip-up in the snow with a fall detection medical alert. In the words ofRon Burgundy, "You stay safe, Pennsylvania."
