ORLANDO, Fla. — Vulnerable populations are bracing for the cold in Central Florida. That includes the senior community in Orlando, which faces significant health risks from freezing temperatures.
“It is too cold,” Cleo Ford, a local senior, said. “I won’t tell you everything I have on, but I will tell you I am nice and warm and toasty.”
Tuesday, she was decked out in her orange beanie, sweatshirt, and sweatpants, looking at the bright side of the upcoming freezing temps.
“It gives us an opportunity to be able to put on clothes that we don’t normally wear in Florida,” Ford said. “We’re excited about it.”
Some seniors even chose to dance it out for warmth at the L. Claudia Allen Senior Center in Orlando.
Meanwhile, Seniors First, a non-profit organization, is raising awareness about the serious health risks seniors may face during cold weather, such as a higher risk of hypothermia or cardiac arrest.
“If they’re used to going out and sitting in their garden, or taking a walk, or being on the front porch, those are all things not happening this week,” Katherine Brown, Seniors First’s Communication Director, said. “It’s even more important we’re touching base.”
Brown said the cold is also an isolating time.
Volunteers will be delivering thousands of Meals on Wheels, conducting home checks, and making phone calls to ensure clients have what they need to stay warm.
“I would say to your viewers, if they have elderly neighbors or family members who don’t live with them, make a run by and check,” Brown said. “Make sure they don’t have to go out. Those are the kinds of safety things we pay closer attention to during this kind of weather.”
Seniors First is asking not just during cold weather, but anytime throughout the year, for you to donate your time to seniors. They say they are always looking for volunteers to connect with that community.
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