The holidays are filled with traditions and festive gatherings. While families reunite around the dinner table, it’s a good time to have a conversation about the potential hazards of the oncoming winter season. Moving an aging parent from their home to Assisted Living is an option will many benefits during colder months. There are definite advantages to Chattanooga retirement living.

The risks go beyond broken bones from falls on icy steps, sidewalks or streets. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) warns that older adults are especially vulnerable to hypothermia because the body’s response to cold can be diminished by illness like diabetes, plus those who are less physically active generate less body heat. Seniors who are aging in place in their home may enjoy the attention of a well-intentioned family caregiver, but the winter month advantages of Assisted Living at Rosewood include:

• Emergency supplies of food, water and medicine: Regardless of whether the roads are blocked due to icy conditions or fallen trees, our residents never go without three meals a day and snacks. We plan ahead so we have adequate staff and supplies on hand for emergencies.
• Transportation: We help our residents reach their doctor offices for visits and have scheduled outings for activities, which make life less stressful and more enjoyable as well as providing a safe alternative to seniors getting behind the wheel. A parent with memory issues driving around and getting lost when temperatures are mild is scary enough, but if this happens during freezing weather, it can have disastrous consequences.
• Safety: Someone living in Assisted Living does not require around-the-clock care like persons in a nursing home, yet it is comforting to know that nurses are on hand in case they are needed. Contrast that with a homebound senior whose wellbeing may hinge upon having a neighbor willing to check in on them if winter conditions prevent a family caregiver from reaching them swiftly – and even then, they may lack proper training to recognize someone with hypothermia.
• No Need to Winterize a House: Once a senior moves to Rosewood, the stresses of repairing a leaky roof or frozen pipes are done. Rosewood’s maintenance staff make sure these concerns are addressed, removing a burden on caregivers and family to make sure a house is safe to occupy and survives the winter no worse for wear.
• Seniors Stay Active and Make Friends: The holidays can be lonely for those with mobility issues and, as mentioned, getting outside the home for periods of time isn’t always practical or safe. At Rosewood, residents enjoy scheduled activities designed to keep their minds sharp and enhance their quality of life by promoting social interaction.

There’s simply no comparison between a senior spending the majority of his or her time staring at a television screen and someone surrounded by friends participating in the same outings and programs. Our visiting entertainers bring joy to seniors so they don’t have to drive elsewhere to avoid boredom.

These are just a few of the advantage of moving to Assisted Living during the colder months. For more information, call The Rosewood at Fort Oglethorpe at (706) 866-4443. You can learn more about what to expect with our free consultation and tour.