Healthy Living covers lifestyle and community awareness events and activities around Montgomery County, PA, with guest columns by authors from local health, fitness and social services organizations.

Prepare Yourself

• Keep room temperature at least 65 degrees
• Wear layers of cotton clothing
• Avoid sleeping in the clothes you wore during the day
• Find out if any medicines you are taking makes you more sensitive to cold
• Stay active around the house instead of sitting still
• Eat well balanced, nutritious meals to help the body produce its own heat
• Drink warm, sweet drinks like hot cocoa or sweetened coffee
• Avoid alcoholic drinks - they can cause your body to lose heat

Prepare Your Home

• Have working smoke detectors on every floor of the house
• Check batteries monthly!
• Clean chimney yearly
• Never leave fireplaces burning if you are not nearby
• Always use a fire-screen
• Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from throw-rugs, furniture upholstery, and stairways.
• Never use the oven to heat your home
• Do not burn newspaper in the fireplace
• Have at least one working fire extinguisher and know how to use it
• Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home

Prepare Supplies

• Emergency Phone List (fire department, police, gas company, friends)
• Emergency food. Keep food that will not spoil (and a can opener if food is canned)
• Plenty of drinking water (tap water is fine)
• A battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A supply of medicine you normally take (check the expiration dates)
• A small first aid kit
• Extra blankets or sleeping bags
• A change of clothes
• Baby supplies, diapers, powdered formula, food, and bottles

Prepare for the Outdoors

• Put clothing on in layers, with a water-resistant layer at the top
• Change your clothes if they get wet or damp
• Always wear a hat
• Wear a scarf and mittens
• When temperature or wind chill drops to 10° or less, limit time outside to no more than 30 minutes
• Pace yourself and avoid overdoing it in the cold
• Do not walk or skate on ice less than 3 inches thick
• When shoveling snow, take breaks

Prepare your Car

• Check anti-freeze and wiper fluid before getting on the road
• Keep sand, salt or kitty litter in the trunk
• Keep a shovel, flashlight, jumper cables and a can of pressurized flat-repair aerosol in the car
• Store non-perishable snacks and an old blanket in the trunk
• Drive slowly and plan extra time to reach your destination

Seniors - Ways To Prepare 

• Find a "buddy" who will check in on you daily in person or by telephone
• Stay active inside of your home
• To prevent falls, ask someone to shovel or de-ice your walks and porches
• Make sure your house is heated at least to 65 degrees