Winter in Tampa
In Tampa, we don’t tend to think much about winter preparation. The average temperature still hovers around 70 degrees in the winter months, and when we do get cool days, the temperatures rarely dip below freezing. However, it is important to note that children with physical or cognitive limitations may become colder faster than the average person. This is because they may not be able to articulate that they are cold or move around to keep warm. So, while we don’t have to deal with snow and ice, we still need to take some extra precautions to care for our children with disabilities.
Winter Safety Checklist
- Make sure you bundle your children up in cold weather. Layer your child in adaptive clothing, to help keep in body heat. Remember that heat is often lost through the extremities, so dress your kids in hats and gloves. Look for gloves with thinner fingertips, to allow sensitivity of the fingertips. For a child with sensory issues who cannot wear a hat, ear muffs and fleece headbands are good alternatives.
- Consider altering the overcoat. If your child is in a wheelchair, cutting a slit in the back of an overcoat can make it easier to take on and off.
- Plan for emergency outages. Just because you won’t get snowed in, that doesn’t mean a winter storm won’t knock out the power. If your child depends on a wheelchair or medical equipment that requires electricity, make sure you have a plan for backup power. Talk to your utility company and ask about being listed as a life-sustaining equipment customer.
- Invest in good shoes. Sturdy, rubber-soled shoes will help keep your child from slipping on wet or icy surfaces.
- Stock emergency supplies. In addition to a backup power source, stock up on non-perishable foods, make sure you have prescription medicine on hand ahead of a storm, and replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and CO2 detectors, making sure they’re in good working order.
- Know how to cope with limits to communication. Make sure your child wears a medical alert tag or bracelet in case you become separated in an emergency situation. For children with a communication disability, make sure there are emergency instructions for communicating with them. If the child uses assistive technologies, like an augmentative communications device, have a plan for replacing the equipment if list or destroyed, and how to communicate if it isn’t working.
- Pay attention to the weather report. Sign up for local alerts and warnings, and familiarize yourself with emergency evacuation routes. Have an emergency plan for your home, and make sure your family members and caregivers are familiar with it. Don’t let a winter storm catch you unaware, but stay ahead of the weather so that you won’t find yourself in crisis.
Trust BrightStar to Care for Your Children
At BrightStar Care of Tampa, we offer a wide range of home care and medical staffing services, providing the right support to fit each client’s unique needs. Though we are often known for our in-home services for seniors, we also offer high-quality home care for children with disabilities and children who are ill, as well as pediatric nursing and care for children whose parents have disabilities. With our variety of high-quality, compassionate care and our unparalleled support for our local healthcare system, we give more, not just to the people we serve but also to our community. Our goal is to make our clients’ lives the best they can possibly be while making the Tampa community stronger than ever. We are honored to have won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, both locally and nationally, and we strive to provide the kind of high-quality care and support that truly make a difference in people’s lives. From our nurses and caregivers to our office team and staff, everyone on the BrightStar Care of Tampa team cares deeply about providing the care and support our customers deserve. For more information about our care and services, call 813.692.1021 or contact us through our website.