As temperatures drop and the aging population grows, business leaders like you have an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in your communities.

By donating, advocating, supporting, and partnering with aging-in-place organizations like DSCC, you can ensure that older adults remain safe, warm, and cared for during the colder months.

Beyond the community care aspect, your efforts also support your employees juggling work and caring for their loved ones. This corporate social responsibility (CSR) benefits your workforce and community by advocating for older adults’ safety and wellness.

WHY Senior Cold Weather Safety Should Be Your Business Priority

Supporting senior safety during colder months through senior advocacy and wellness is community goodwill, employee well-being, and business productivity.

Did you know:

• In 2024, an average of 11,000 Americans will turn 65 each day.

• According to projections from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans ages 100 and older is projected to more than quadruple over the next three decades, from an estimated 101,000 in 2024 to about 422,000 in 2054. Centenarians comprise just 0.03% of the U.S. population and are expected to reach 0.1% in 2054.

Older adults face unique challenges in winter, including health risks, isolation, and safety hazards in their homes. Your business can help mitigate these risks by supporting aging-in-place non-profits that provide critical safety and well-being services.

Here are some reasons why making senior safety a business priority makes sense:

1.Serving Your Community:

Your business contributes to the well-being of the communities where you operate and your employees live.

Winter months can be hazardous for older adults, with increased falls, hypothermia, and isolation risks. By supporting aging-in-place services, your business actively contributes to the safety and health of older adults, strengthening your community and demonstrating your company’s role as a socially responsible leader.

2. Supporting a Growing Demographic:

The need for senior safety programs grows as the aging population increases. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be over 65, and this demographic will require extensive support to remain safe in their homes, especially when the temperature drops.

By proactively investing in senior care, your business is positioning itself as a partner in the well-being of this growing group, creating goodwill with employees and the community that can have long-lasting benefits.

3. Backing Your Employees with Aging Parents:

Many employees face the dual responsibilities of working full-time while caring for aging parents or relatives.

• 67% of family caregivers have difficulty balancing their jobs with caregiving duties.
• 27% of working caregivers have shifted from full-time to part-time work or have reduced hours, and 16% have turned down a promotion.
• 16% have stopped working entirely for some time — and 13% have changed employers —to meet caregiving responsibilities

By partnering with aging-in-place organizations, your business ensures that its employees’ loved ones receive the necessary care and safety support. This reduces your employees’ stress and improves work-life balance, knowing their family members are safe.

By making senior safety a business priority and supporting aging-in-place organizations, you strengthen your community and show your employees that you care about their well-being and the well-being of their loved ones.

Now, let’s explore how your business support of aging-in-place initiatives can make a tangible impact during the colder months.

HOW Your Business Can Support Aging-in-Place Initiatives When Temperature Drops

Here are just a few of the ways that you and your business can support DSCC and other aging-in-place non-profits to ensure the safety and well-being of older adults as the temperature drops:

• Support Cold Weather Safety Programs: Your business can donate to or partner with aging-in-place organizations that provide home safety checks, install grab bars, and inspect heating systems to ensure seniors’ homes are equipped to handle the cold. This keeps seniors safe from falls and hypothermia.

• Sponsor Meal Delivery Programs: When icy conditions make it dangerous for seniors to leave their homes, Meals on Wheels ensures they get proper nutrition. Your business donations can help aging-in-place programs expand these services during winter.

• Advocate for Winter Volunteer Programs: Encourage employees to volunteer for wellness check-ins or friendly visits to seniors during the cold months. These efforts combat isolation and ensure seniors stay connected to their community, especially when leaving home is more challenging.

The Broader Impact of Supporting Aging-in-Place Non-Profits

While focusing on senior safety when the temperature drops is critical, the benefits of supporting aging-in-place initiatives extend beyond the winter season.

By building long-term relationships with these organizations, your business will help protect seniors in their homes and contribute to sustained community well-being, employee satisfaction, and a stronger, more inclusive workforce.

As the temperature drops, your support becomes even more crucial in ensuring older adults can navigate the challenges of the cold months with safety, security, and dignity.

A Final Thought

As the temperature drops, the need for safe, accessible, and well-supported aging-in-place conditions for seniors becomes more pressing. Your business can make a lasting impact through support and collaboration with aging-in-place organizations that provide vital services that ensure older adults can stay in their homes safely.

Whether through donations, volunteerism, advocacy, or partnerships, your business can help older adults face and thrive through the challenges of the cold season while supporting your employees and the community.

Contact an aging-in-place organization like DuPage Senior Citizens Council in your community and make a difference that will last for years.