Coldest Weather of the Season puts Elderly at Risk

The coldest temperatures this winter could sweep through southeast Ohio this weekend and with such frigid air, children and elderly adults are especially at risk.

Doctor Vicki Whitacre at the Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department said the elderly have a harder time regulating body temperature meaning the best place for them this weekend is indoors.

"The elderly are particularly susceptible to getting loss of body heat and not being able to make enough energy to keep their body energy up so they definitely need to be protecting themselves by staying indoors or dressing very warmly," said Whitacre. "Your head should be covered and in extreme temperatures you probably want to have almost everything covered."

If older people do need to venture out into the weather, Whitacre recommends you be there to help family members and neighbors stay safe and warm.

"Offer to take them so that you’re helping them, making sure they are dressed warmly and are protected so that they get into a warm car and that sort of thing and if they need things, go and get it for them instead of letting them go to get their groceries, that sort of thing. "

Dr. Whitacre said everyone should limit their time outside to just 10 minutes at a time when temperatures reach the lows we’re seeing now.