The fall isn't just a time to prepare your own home. You also need to make sure any loved ones who may not be able to take care of everything themselves will be able to make it through the winter. If you have an elderly family member who hasn't moved into assisted living yet, be sure to take the following steps:

Make Sure They Have a Supply of Food and Medicine

Ensure that they have at least a few weeks worth of any medications and that their pantries are well-stocked. This should include nonperishable foods that they could use if the power goes out or if they're unable to make it to the store. Even if they're typically able to get to the store on their own, a deep freeze or snow on the ground could end up leaving them homebound for days or weeks at a time if no one is around to help them.

Hire Someone to Shovel Their Snow

Even if they aren't legally required to shovel any sidewalks or driveways, make sure they have someone who will shovel their snow. Even a few inches that an able-bodied person could easily walk over could trap a senior citizen inside or leave them at great risk for falling.

Make Sure Staying Warm is In Their Budget

Retired or disabled people are often on fixed incomes that are barely enough to cover all of their needs. When the time to pay a high heating fuel bill comes, it may just not be in the budget. Unfortunately, the ill and elderly can't just turn down the heat and put on a sweater. Their bodies just aren't able to handle the cold as well as they used to. To protect your loved one's health, make sure they'll be able to have adequate heat and that it won't be from a dangerous source like space heaters or leaving the oven open.

This doesn't just apply to inside heat but also to the clothes they wear. Even though proper layering is such a common sense way to stay warm, they may be tempted to try to stretch their budget by not buying that extra sweater or jacket.

You may think you can be there all of the time for your loved one, but think about whether you want to lose the ability to go on vacation and whether the added stress in your daily routine will strain your relationships. To make sure your loved one has the best care, contact an in home care specialist such as Assisting Hands Naples today.