How can I help my aging parent stay safe with ice and snow?

With the cold weather often comes continued ice and snow. This can increase an elderly person's chance of falling, so precautions must be taken for this situation, as well. Try to keep them off the ice and snow as much as possible by parking the car in the garage and dropping them at the curb in front of buildings when possible. It's not always possible to do this though, so some other suggestions would be:

• Provide your loved one with non-skid boots to wear outdoors. Even when he or she is using a walker, the non-skid boots will be an improvement.

•   Replace the rubber tips on canes or walkers well before they are worn so that they won't become slippery when wet.

• Pay attention to the walking surface and avoid any slippery areas.

• Keep sidewalks at your elderly parent's home clear and apply salt or sand to icy patches.

• Keep a good, stable (stabilize with carpet-stay) doormat so that boots will not be slippery when re-entering the home.

• Because seniors are often confined to their homes during these icy cold months, and can become lonely, check with your local area on aging or your place of worship for programs with senior buddy visits.