The approach of winter can be exciting when it means snow, a new year, and fun holidays like Christmas.

But wintertime can also bring risks, especially for older people. Colder temperatures can increase an older person’s chance of having a heart attack or breathing problems. Fuel bills can contribute to the cost-of-living crisis. And early sunsets combined with cold weather can make it difficult for seniors to get about both indoors and outside.

Of course, there are steps that older people and their families can take to protect against all these risks. In this post, we’ll talk about how you can mitigate the dangers that dark winter nights present to the elderly.

What’s dangerous about night-time in winter?

So, what should you be concerned about when winter evenings begin?

One important answer is falls. A lack of sunlight and good lighting can increase an older person’s chances of tripping and falling, and potentially icy ground during winter only worsens the problem.

Falling can be bad for anyone, but it’s particularly risky for the elderly. That’s because seniors are more physically frail. They may suffer severe consequences from a fall – and those consequences aren’t only physical. If an older person ends up lying on the floor for over an hour, they will begin to experience what’s called a long lie. This can result in dehydration, a deep fear of future falling, and potentially hypothermia if temperatures are low.

Another danger is, of course, being struck by a car that can’t see you in the dark. A natural response to this problem is to simply stay indoors during dark hours. But that’s not necessarily a solution. Exercise like walking can be great for older people, and staying indoors can lead to isolation and depression. Walking outdoors, but taking steps to be safe, might be a better course of action.

What you can do to see and be seen

When you’re walking around outdoors after dark, there are two key points to consider:

How well can you see? If you can’t, you’re at risk of a fall.
How well can others see you?

We’ve got suggestions to help with both of these points.

Reflective clothing

Reflective clothing addresses the issue of how well others can see you.

Runners often use reflective clothing so that they’ll be visible in a car’s headlights. It helps prevent a situation where they’re struck by a car that didn’t see them on a dark winter night.

But this type of clothing is also very useful to an elderly person who is walking (or jogging) outside in the dark. That’s partly because an older person might be less able to rush out of the way of a car that’s going too fast and hasn’t seen them.

Many kinds of reflective clothing are available. You can get a fully reflective jacket or other piece of clothing. But you can also purchase smaller accessories that you can wear over your other clothes. For example, reflective wristbands, sashes and vests are available.

For an older person who is walking to and from the shops or a friend’s home, reflective accessories might be an appealing option. With these, an elderly person could still wear their favourite, familiar clothes, but add a layer of safety on top.

Torches

Torches, of course, aim to address the other side of the problem – how well you can see in the dark.

Some people rely on the torch functionality of their mobile phone, but it’s better to use a real torch. That way, there’s no problem if your mobile is low on battery.

For short walks from a parked car to a front door, consider getting a small torch that attaches to your keychain. Or keep a small torch in your purse if you use one.

Head torches and similar accessories

What’s even more convenient than a handheld torch? How about one that straps onto your body?

For an older person who does like to jog or take extended walks after dark, particularly in rural areas, a head torch might be a worthwhile tool to get. These devices are small and fit comfortably on a head strap.

Similarly, you can also purchase chest lights. These are small lights that are worn on a harness to illuminate what’s in front of you. They can be more comfortable for someone who prefers not to wear a light on their head.

Lastly, you can also get clip-on lights for runners. These clip on your clothes anywhere, but they are more intended to make you visible to cars rather than vice versa.

Outdoor lights

At SureSafe, we often recommend motion-activated lights as a way to increase safety in the darkness. So, installing a motion-detecting light by your front door is definitely a smart move. It helps make those final steps of the journey home much safer – especially if you have to go up literal steps into a house.

In fact, if you do have outdoor steps or stairs of any kind, be very careful to ensure that your outdoor light illuminates them well. Stairs are always a danger zone for falls, so make sure every step can be clearly seen.

But what if you have a short walk that leads to your door? You might also want to get solar-powered lights that can be placed along a garden path or driveway to ensure your entire walk to your door is well-lit.

Reflective strips for steps

While we’re discussing steps, let’s touch on another action that can help increase safety on stairs.

You can purchase reflective strips that go along the edge of every step. In combination with a torch, these can make a huge difference in ensuring the steps are clear to see – and therefore safer.

More precautions

All these pointers we’ve discussed can help to lower your risk of falling or of being in an accident with a car that couldn’t see you.

But we have one more tip, and it’s this – plan ahead.

While torches and body-worn lights can be effective, it’s still preferable to walk down a well-lit street rather than a dark one. So, we advise planning out your routes when possible to ensure you’re taking the path that has the most lighting. Consider the evenness and slipperiness of pavements, too.

Similarly, if you’re going out at night, check the temperature and the ground conditions before you go. If you were out during the day, it’s easy to forget that icy or slippery conditions could develop as temperatures go down at night. If needed, take measures to reduce ice on any steps or paving on your property before you go out. That could make for a safer trip home.

How SureSafe protects older people on winter nights

All the above measures can help reduce seniors’ chances of experiencing accidents on dark nights. But there is no way of absolutely preventing such accidents.

That’s why any plan to protect an elderly person needs to involve a personal alarm for the elderly. These alarms provide older people with a way to call for help if they fall or experience another emergency while no-one is nearby.

A one-touch SOS button on a pendant or wrist alarm ensures that a senior can always call for assistance quickly and easily – even if they’re away from their phone or outside their home. Choose an alarm with fall detection, and it can sense many falls and call for help all by itself, even if the wearer is unconscious.

And if an elderly person often walks alone outdoors, GPS tracking is absolutely essential. It’s the last piece of the puzzle that helps ensure help reaches an older person in crisis as soon as possible.

At SureSafe, we offer highly reviewed and user-friendly alarms that have all of these features. That’s just one reason why we’re a UK market leader in personal alarms for older people.

So, if you’ve been wondering how to keep yourself or an elderly loved one safe after early sunsets, why not give us a call? Reach out to our expert team on 0808 189 1671 or through live chat. You can also request a call back.