Winter can have a tremendous impact on anyone, regardless of their age, physical abilities, and more. For the elderly and disabled adults who rely on home care for a variety of reasons, winter can be difficult to endure, especially when snow, ice, freezing rain, and other weather events complicate travel.In Roswell, New Mexico in late December, following a major winter weather event, some home care providers had di.fficulty traversing the roads and were unable to deliver even the most basic necessities to their elderly clients in need.
Planning ahead may be practical, but it’s not always possible, either. In the case of delivering oxygen tanks, prescription medications, and other necessities, it may simply be impossible to receive proper paperwork, such as a prescription, in time before a major snow or frozen precipitation event is bearing down on a region.Winter affects the vast majority of the country, so it’s best that agencies and caregivers have contingency plans in place for when roads are impassable and keep in close contact with those elderly clients who rely on their care and services.