I was 9 years old and living in central New Jersey during the winter of 1978 when a catastrophic blizzard hit the entire Eastern Seaboard. For three days in early February, we were battered by high winds as 2 feet of snow fell steadily ”“ the most my young eyes had ever seen. A solid layer of ice coated everything. With school canceled for days, my older sister and I donned parkas and mittens and did our best to build snowmen in the backyard while my father tried to break slabs of ice and shovel out the cars and driveway. Long johns, corduroy pants and high, fleece-lined boots were barely enough to protect us from the big freeze.
That storm opened my eyes to how devastating severe weather can be. The Blizzard of a”™78 reportedly killed 100 people in the Northeast and injured around 4,500.
While cataclysmic weather events like nor”™easters and hurricanes affect us all, seniors are particularly vulnerable. Some do not survive.
“Older adults are very susceptible to extreme weather due to physical changes seen with aging,” said Vincent Marchello, M.D., C.M.D. ”“ chief medical officer at Centene/Fidelis Care, New York State”™s largest Medicaid managed care plan. “The best advice I can give is to be proactive and prepared.”
Citing a February 2022 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Marchello explained that within a month of a severe weather event more elderly adults are hospitalized. Those with diabetes, congestive heart disease and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are most likely to require care.
Joe Rao ”“ an eight-time Emmy Award-nominated meteorologist, formerly with “News12 Westchester,” and currently co-host of the “Joe and Joe Weather Show” with Joe Cioffi ”“ is 66 and lives in Putnam County. Rao advises the elderly to play it safe and stay inside when it”™s bitter cold.
“There was one Saturday morning when the temperature dropped to 9 degrees, and it snowed,” he recalled. “I went out to shovel and regretted it”¦.Get someone else to shovel for you, especially if you have a heart condition and the snow is of a heavy consistency.” Rao got a snow blower.
“Based on the ”˜Farmers”™ Almanac,”™” Rao said, “January will trend toward exceptional cold followed by many stormy days in February.”
With that in mind, Marchello has these tips to help older adults and their families prepare for frostier days:
- If you haven”™t already done so, have the heating system checked to ensure proper functioning.”¯ Is the home heating system capable of operating without power? If not, seek advice about modifications or alternative sources such as a generator or a gas or wood burning stove and know how to operate these properly.
- Wear appropriate and adequate clothing outside, including gloves, hats, boots and scarves. Keep extras on hand in case a glove gets lost (as it always does).
- Don”™t go out before streets and sidewalks have been properly shoveled and salted. Slipping on ice is a common and potentially deadly hazard.
- If you are driving, keep a first-aid kit, blankets, ice scraper, shovel and water in the car and easily accessible.
- Carry an index card with your conditions and medications.
- Refill medications well in advance.
- Have a communication plan ”“ Who will you call? Who will call you? ”“ before and after a storm.”¯ If possible, have a contact at a distance who may not have been similarly affected.
- Program your emergency contacts into your cell phone. And have a battery-powered radio and extra batteries nearby and a remote charger for your cell phone.
- Heed evacuation advice from local authorities. When warned of a weather event, decide where you ”“ or your loved one(s) ”“ will go and when before it”™s too late.
- Stock a “shelter in place” shelf/closet with water, canned goods, flashlights and batteries.
Having a plan in place can make all the difference. Indeed, a solid plan may be the best gift for the holidays.
Abbe Udochi is CEO and geriatric care manager at Concierge Healthcare Consulting in New Rochelle and a member of the Centene/Fidelis board of directors. For more, visit concierge-care.com.
