Winter Weather News for the Sandwich Generation

Thank you for sharing...

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post, which is at no additional cost to you. :)

My family has just moved to Kentucky! We are loving it here. We are also learning a lot about new-to-us things like tornado warnings, more rain more often, and ice storms! Couple this with the news headlines that several northern states have already experienced snow and I realized it might be a good idea for all of us Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents to give some thought to the upcoming winter weather!

For all of us who are overseeing aging parents, this is a good time to make sure they’ve stocked up on their usual needs such as firewood, matches or lighters, oil, and maybe even some canned goods and water. I’ve had several people tell me about an ice storm that stretched from Kentucky to Arkansas and beyond, causing power outages for several days and even weeks! Some extra blankets and magazines won’t go to waste either! A friend’s daughter commented that when it hit, they each piled five extra blankets on their beds to stay warm!

Don’t forget to help your sweet seniors check their fireplaces and chimneys, along with their heaters. Paying for a pre-season “tune-up” can be one of those times when spending money is one of the better ways to save money. Find the problems now and fix them, rather than freeze for days because the heating repairmen are all busy and parts are backordered. My senior mom and I experienced that situation last winter. No heat for 10 days while we waited for parts! We did OK, though, by using a portable heater and LOTS of long johns! 🙂

Another fun idea might be to visit Goodwill or Big Lots and add a couple of new puzzles, toys & games to your “grandkid supplies.” The same daughter told me that when the power stayed off for several days, they headed for grandma’s house in the neighboring state. I suspect there’s a lot of that going on each winter. 🙂

What are your favorite winter preparation tips? As a new-to-snow resident, I can use all I can gather. 🙂