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6 WAYS A CONTINUUM OF CARE MAKES WINTER SAFER FOR SENIORS

Are the punishing winters turning you into a shut-in? Do the short days and long nights make you feel lonely and sad? What about shoveling your driveway or salting the sidewalk? Do you dread having to do it? If you go out less because you’re afraid of falling on snow and ice, we may have the solution.  

It doesn’t have to be this way. A continuum of care community can give you all the independence you want without the hassles and dangers of living in harsh weather.  

Consider the six reasons moving now will improve your winter: 

1. Assistance at Your Fingertips 

A continuum of care community allows you to continue to live your active lifestyle while someone else takes care of the chores like snow removal. And if you’re not so active, a continuum of care community provides whatever assistance you need and plenty of opportunities for socializing with people in the same stage of life. 

2. Services Are Right There 

You don’t need a car to go out to dinner, hit the gym, take a dip in the indoor pool or join in activities at the community center. They’re all right there for you. And if you need transportation off campus, they’ll arrange that too. 

3. Your Safety Matters 

Older people are at risk for illness and injury during the cold, dark, slippery season. Just walking is often treacherous. Frostbite and hypothermia disproportionately affect older people, too: seniors account for more than half the deaths from hypothermia in the U.S. And living alone can be deadly for seniors who catch the flu, which already takes three-quarters of its victims from among those age 65 and older. Being around others, where the grounds are clear, indoor activities are convenient and medical care is present can be lifesaving. Which means you should move now before winter hits. 

4. Happy is Healthy 

Seasonal Affective Disorder is tough to endure but easier around active, like-minded people your own age, and a caring staff that looks out for your health. Isolation and sadness can exacerbate medical conditions that seniors endure, so being around others is important for your physical and your mental health. 

5. Give Yourself Time to Make Friends 

Moving to a continuum of care community in the winter allows you to make friends during the season when you won’t be leaving campus much. Then, when the robins sing, flowers bloom and you’re ready to be more active outdoors, you will already have a gaggle of friends to take with you. From a friend-making standpoint, winter is the absolute best time to start life at a continuum of care community. 

6. No Time Like the Present 

Arranging visits to continuum of care communities now allows you to see what life is like around the campus before everything moves indoors. Deciding now means you avoid the hassle of moving in the cold and snow. Once winter hits and the sun sets before dinner, you might not want to take the life-altering step, and you’ll endure another four months alone.  

 Nye Health Services offers six communities in Eastern Nebraska and one in Wyoming, structured to meet the needs of their residents from independent living to skilled nursing care. A family-owned company with a rich history of connecting with the people they serve, Nye Health Services is open for visits anytime. Call 402.753.1400 to schedule an appointment at locations in Fremont, Lincoln, South Sioux City, Norfolk, or Jackson Hole, or visit NyeHealthServices.com for more information.