Caregiver Tips: Preparing Your Parents' Lawn for Winter
Caregiver in Grand Rapids MI
With the threat of severe winter weather looming just around the corner, and some areas of the country already experiencing the first icy blasts and 
flurries of the season, it is vital to make sure that your parents’ home is ready for it. As a family caregiver you likely already know the importance of basic winter home preparation tasks such as making sure that the windows are not letting in cold wintery drafts and checking the gutters to ensure they are empty and ready to whisk the snow and ice away from your parents’ roof, but one type of preparation that you might be missing is to their lawn.
Winter lawn preparation is something that many caregivers overlook, and that can have disastrous consequences for your elderly loved ones and their property. It is critical that you take some time to make sure that their lawn is ready for the demands of the wintery weather so that you can keep your seniors and their homes safe throughout the season.
Use these tips to help you prepare your parents’ lawn for the winter weather:
• Check for compromised branches. The thought of snow-covered trees overhanging the home might be a beautiful and peaceful wintery image, but if those trees have branches that are dead, weak, too long, or otherwise compromised, this beautiful image could quickly turn into a disaster. Snow and ice are incredibly heavy, meaning too much can cause a branch to snap and fall down onto your parents’ home. If you are concerned about any of the branches near your parents’ home, call a tree company in the area to come out and do an inspection to see if any of the limbs should be trimmed in preparation of the season.
• Ensure even ground. Little dips in the ground can happen for a variety of reasons, from natural erosion caused by wind and rain, to animal activity underground, to pets digging holes, to lawn decorations or furniture sitting in the same place for too long. While these little dips might not seem like a big deal when the ground is bare, when the snow falls you will not be able to tell where they are. This can lead to stepping into one and twisting or even breaking an ankle. Closely examine your parents’ law for these inconsistencies and either fill them in or find something large enough to cover it that the cover will not become a tripping hazard in the snow.
• Drain sprinkler lines. If your parents have an automatic sprinkler, now is the time to deactivate it for the cold season. Turn off the system and drain the lines. Frozen sprinkler lines can burst, creating a costly and dangerous situation.
• Rake up the leaves. Leaving a layer of leaves on the ground throughout the fall is a great way to add natural nutrients into the soil and keep the ground warmer longer, but once the temperature starts to drop and there is risk of snow, it is time to get rid of the leaves so that the grass will not smother. Relocate the leaves to flowerbeds or vegetables gardens to nourish the soil and tamper down early weeds in the spring.
If you or someone you know needs help with caregiver services in Grand Rapids, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
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