Blizzard 2015: Tips on How to Help Your Homebound Neighbors
— -- As residents throughout the Northeast raid supermarket shelves to prepare for the approaching blizzard, those with mobility issues may be especially challenged with stocking up their larders.
Homebound neighbors and seniors without family or frequent visitors often depend on food deliveries that may be impacted by inclement weather. But there are easy ways to check in on the needs of those around you without being intrusive.
"If you have a relationship with the person, you can say something like 'Oh, we're checking on everyone in the building,' so that they don't feel singled out," said Sara Peller, Associate Executive Director of Programs at DOROT, which provides services to seniors.
"Or, you can mention that you are going out today and ask if they'd like you to pick anything up in a very open-ended way, which I always think is the best approach."
Simple gestures can range from offering to get a prescription refilled to bringing over cookies that you've baked with your family, she said.
"I think the really important thing is making sure they have food and that if there is a problem that they have some one to call," Peller told ABC News. "So be sure to leave behind your phone number and let them know they can reach out if they need something."
Citymeals’ executive director Beth Shapiro also suggests looking around the person’s home to remove or relocate any potential safety hazards.
“Make sure there is nothing flammable near the space heater, if they have one, and that there aren’t candles burning near upholstered furniture,” Shapiro said. “Take a quick scan of the fridge and pantry to see that there is shelf-stable food, should the electricity go out."
It’s also important to take notice of the person himself.
“Do they look cold, do they feel cold? Older people’s body temperatures don’t regulate the same way younger bodies do,” said Shapiro. “In extreme cold and heat, their bodies move more slowly warming up. It’s important to remember that not everyone can care for themselves completely.”
Debbie Jansky, assistant manager of home health and hospice at Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Illinois, echoed that sentiment in a release earlier this month.”
"Winter is isolating for all of us, but when severe weather hits, the chronically ill or elderly suffer the most,” she said. “Many people live alone and may be too proud to ask neighbors for help.”
