Shelter from the storm

Snow is 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 that can cheer us up. However, this week a powerful winter storm unloaded snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures across Northwest Arkansas. It is a battle to walk and drive anywhere in these Bella Vista hills. It takes so much extra effort and hours to get dressed in the endless layers just to step outside!

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?

Our Concordia residents have a distinct advantage throughout the winter months over those who still live in their homes. Let me share a few things our Concordia staff is doing to help our seniors through this week. Many staff members in several different departments volunteered to stay on the property during the inclement weather, to make sure our residents are fed and taken care of.

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.

Our maintenance team has been shoveling snow and spreading ice melt throughout our walkways. If your 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 out to the grocery store or worse, skip meals altogether. When the weather is bad, our residents have the option of coming to the dining room, or staying indoors and letting us bring a hot meal to them.

Unlike most independent communities, Concordia offers a full-time nurse and a wellness program. These services can offer our residents the opportunity to safely continue living independently longer.

Although many of us do not like this extreme weather, when you live at Concordia you will feel the warmth of love and care 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 truly the best move they could have made!

If you have been putting off moving to a maintenance free community, reach out to Concordia of Bella Vista at 479- 855-3714 and let us show you how warm and wonderful life can be!