Try: When cold weather hits there is often very little time to make sure your home is running efficiently and your own personal safety is addressed here are some helpful hints to increase the efficiency of your home have someone seal all air leaks around windows and insulate openings to any attic to prevent warm air from escaping if storm windows are not tight use window film that can be stretched over them consider investing in a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature of the home have a professional check your furnace each fall and change the filters every three months to keep the air flowing efficiently if you have a fireplace that you use on a regular basis make sure that when it is not in use the damper is closed so that the heated air cannot escape up the chimney here is a checklist to promote personal safety do not use your stove or oven to heat your home if a space heater is used check the cords to make sure they are not damaged in any way and keep the cords out of any traffic area to avoid tripping over them in case of a power outage make sure flashlights and extra batteries are readily available in several locations throughout the home avoid using candles if possible check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on a regular basis to make sure they will work properly in an emergency replace the batteries once a year insulate water pipes to prevent the pipes bursting if they freeze drain and turn off any outside water spouts fire extinguishers need to be inspected once a year have a temporary housing plan in place including a way to get there in case you have to leave your home set up a schedule if you live alone for someone to check in with you on a daily basis at a regular time to make sure you are ok have extra medications on hand share your medical and emergency contact information with family friends and neighbors reference adapted in part from the eldercare internet website www eldercare gov eldercare locater a public service of the administration on aging u s department of health and human services a nationwide service the connects older americans and their caregivers with information on senior services
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Categories: Medical Physical, Fully Aware, Somewhat Aware
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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed