Enjoy winter WITHOUT STRESS

Snow brings a beautiful change of scenery in the wintertime. Everything looks so different and magical when it’s covered in snow. During the dark, gray days of winter with bare trees and dead grass, a blanket of snow covering the landscape is a bright and refreshing portrait. However, this past week a powerful winter storm brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures across Northwest Arkansas. Though I marvel at the beauty of snow, the frigid air makes my bones hurt and the freezing winds leave my face feeling like it was kissed by sandpaper. It is a battle to walk and drive anywhere in these Bella Vista hills, and it takes so much extra effort and hours to get dressed in endless layers just to step outside! Although our Concordia staff may dislike doing those things, we do so because we love our residents.

The winter season is difficult because some seniors are far away from family, have limited access to transportation, or may be estranged from family and have nowhere to go. Dangerous weather conditions can cause seniors to become isolated, often leaving them distraught. You may be thinking you will manage to get through it. Why wait when you could have a support system and community who will ensure your needs are taken care of during the challenging winter months?

Throughout the winter months our Concordia residents have a distinct advantage over those who still live in their homes. Let me share a few things our Concordia staff did to help our seniors through this week. When I first saw the weather forecast, I knew we would have difficulty getting employees to Concordia safely. I asked my staff if anyone wanted to volunteer to stay at Concordia during this inclement weather. To my delight, many staff members in different departments stepped up and volunteered to stay on the property. Words cannot express what a sacrifice it was for employees to spend a few nights away from their families so they could serve our residents. We truly have the best staff in Northwest Arkansas, and it is evident what big hearts they have for our residents.

When we have snow and ice, seniors are very vulnerable to falling. Those who live at home and do their own shoveling or yard work are especially likely to fall. Instances of hypothermia, the chances of slipping on ice and breaking a bone, or the risk of getting sick all increase during this time. Concordia has beautiful, spacious townhomes, but when the weather is bad, we ask all our residents to stay indoors and let us bring a hot meal to them. Our maintenance team has been shoveling snow and spreading ice melt throughout our walkways. If the heat goes out we have maintenance on site to repair it quickly.

When confined in the home due to a snowstorm, you might end up not eating as healthy as you should. Maybe you can’t make it to the grocery store or worse, skip meals altogether. When I first heard about the forecast for this week, I thought we might need to resort to cold cut sandwiches on our menu. However, our dining room staff all responded by saying, “Not on our watch! These residents deserve the best, hot meal we can give them, and that is just what we are going to do!”

Unlike most Independent Living Communities, Concordia offers a full time Wellness nurse and Concierge Services with onsite caregivers who do not require a contract or an hourly minimum. These services can offer our residents the opportunity to safely continue to live independently longer before having to move to a higher level of care. Charlene, our Concierge Director, decided to stay a few nights so residents could continue to receive care. Like myself, she is a mother, and I asked her how she was holding up leaving her children. She smiled at me and said, “Yes, I miss my kids dearly, but these residents are like my grandparents. They need to know we are going to be there for them no matter what situation we may face.”

So yes, none of us like this extreme weather, but when you live at Concordia you will feel the love that radiates from our staff. We want our residents to feel happy and not worry about shoveling snow, getting a hot meal, or picking up a forgotten medication. We want them to enjoy the blanket of glistening snow that covers our beautiful campus while feeling confident this was the best move they could have made! If you are tired of the many responsibilities that come with a home and are thinking it is time to look at other options, please contact our Senior Consultants at 479-855-3714. They will be happy to show you a more stress-free lifestyle.

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