Winter Weather: How to Keep Your Senior Safe Behind the Wheel

Winter weather can present a wide range of challenges to drivers. Icy roads, freezing rain, and other unique features of the colder months can create dangerous driving conditions. This is particularly true for seniors, who may have impaired vision or slower reflexes. As such, it is crucial that you assist your elderly loved one in staying safe this winter by following these tips.

1. Make sure your senior's car is in tip top shape. Take the vehicle in for an inspection to make sure that the brakes and other important parts are capable of handling winter weather. Because being able to stop quickly on frozen roads may be required of your loved one, it is essential to ensure that their car can stand up to that challenge.
2. Check your senior's car's tires. When navigating the roads, they will need a thick tread to stick to the asphalt. Depending upon your senior's needs, you may invest in winter tires to ensure that they are as safe as possible when traveling on their own.
3. Pour winter wiper fluid into your loved one's car to ensure that they are able to defrost their windshield effectively. Even if they do not receive a great deal of snow in their area, frozen windshields can pose a major threat—especially if your loved one already suffers from impaired vision.
4. If you are worried about your senior driving during the winter season, try to provide transportation as frequently as possible. For instance, you may accompany your elderly loved one to the grocery store or on other errands to minimize the amount of driving they must do. This will also allow you to spend quality time with your senior, so you both may come to cherish these errands and the time they allow you to spend together.

As a caregiver, your first priority is the wellbeing of your elderly loved one. Providing home care to your senior may not always be easy, but going the extra mile to ensure that they have access to safe vehicles during the winter months—or even driving them to their destinations yourself—is the best way to help your loved one stay safe this season.