Winter Storm Warning! How this Impacts Home Care

Homecare in Highland Park IL

While a lot of people have been looking to March as a sign of the beginning of spring, winter is refusing to let up its grip on most of the country. Now some significant snowfall, freezing rain, sleet, and ice are affecting many of the southern states throughout the country. These regions are not generally accustomed to dealing with significant snowfall totals or even extremely icy conditions.

Winter storms and severe weather can impact home care in a variety of ways. When you’re talking about a region of the country that is simply not equipped to handle a significant amount of snowfall or even freezing rain and ice, it can make driving treacherous and even lead to closed roads and many closed businesses.

For somebody who relies on home care, a winter storm warning from the meteorologists should give them fair notice that there could be a problem with the in-home care service provider getting to their house as scheduled. Depending on whether they rely on family members, an independent caregiver, or they have hired through a home care agency, there could be different approaches to dealing with these harsh weather conditions.

Most home care agencies have contingency plans in place to deal with severe weather, including winter storms that close roads, flooding, tornado watches, hurricanes, high winds, severe thunderstorms, and much more. The same can’t be said about independent caregivers; the elderly client would be subject to whatever provisions they might’ve put in place, which may consist of only a simple phone call after the storm has already hit to let the elderly individual know they will not be showing up.

Experienced caregivers that are hired through an agency will likely be paying full attention to potential severe weather as it approaches. The closer that the storm gets, the more accurate forecasts become and this would allow those caregivers to make provisions for the possibility they might not be able to show up for a day or two.

The most important thing is ensuring the elderly individual’s safety and security within the comfort of their home. They want to have enough water, warm blankets, food, and other provisions on hand and readily accessible in the event that power is lost and the caregiver is unable to reach them for a couple of days. In most cases, severe weather will only create a problem for a limited amount of time, but planning ahead is the best way to ensure safety and security for the elderly client at home.

March 1st through the 7th is National Severe Storm Preparedness Week, so for anybody who relies on home care, it’s a good topic to discuss.

If you or an aging loved one are considering homecare services in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro