How Assisted Living Keeps Seniors Safe During Extreme Weather Conditions

March 31, 2021 by ·

This past winter was incredibly harsh across much of the country. It was a powerful reminder of just how intense Mother Nature can be. For seniors who may not have the same strength, dexterity, or even balance they used to, safety can easily be overlooked. Even for those who have chosen assisted living for their future.

Make no mistake; assisted living is a great option. For those who want to be surrounded by peers their age, not have to worry about the general cleaning, maintenance, and upkeep of their home environment, and even those who no longer have a desire or ability to prepare meals for themselves, assisted living offers numerous options.

What it also provides is a safe haven against the powerful forces of nature that are unleashed around us each year. Whether the risk involves flooding, high winds, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice, snowstorms, or anything else, including extreme heat, it’s vital that elderly men and women are protected from whatever nature can throw at them.

Nothing is perfect.

Assisted Living Daphne, AL: Weather Safety

Don’t misunderstand the intention of this blog. It’s not meant to provide some assurance that a person who is at assisted living is going to be safe from every extreme weather condition. There is no way to guarantee that. It doesn’t matter where the assisted living facility is; there’s simply no way to guarantee, without doubt, that elderly residents will be safe.

However, the higher quality assisted living communities will have not only implemented safety measures, they will also have plans, including evacuation plans, that are designed to maximize the safety of their elderly residents.

There are numerous things that a quality assisted living facility can do to improve safety for elderly men and women. Let’s look at just a couple as they pertain to extreme weather events.

Insulated against the heat and cold.

With properly functioning heating and cooling systems, effective insulation, and windows and doors that seal as much as possible, this helps to provide a safe environment inside, even when the temperatures outside might be excessively hot or cold.

Alarm systems on the doors and windows.

To prevent all the residents from being exposed to potentially dangerous conditions, an alarm system or notification system on the windows and doors can alert staff that somebody may have a window open when it is extremely cold or hot out or somebody has wonder off or is attempting to go outside.

Effective evacuation systems.

Having the right protocols in place on where to bring elderly residents in the event of a weather emergency, notifying next of kin, and being sure to have proper medications on hand for every resident in the event of an evacuation are just a few measures that a quality assisted living facility may take to protect their seniors and keep them safe during extreme weather events.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Daphne, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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