HANCOCK - For Mary Ann Keranen, this winter has been a problem, mostly from a monetary and mobility perspective.
The 80-year-old Keranen, who lives in Alston in south Houghton County, said she has to hire people to plow her driveway, and this year there was more to plow.
"It was difficult because we had to spend more money on plowing the driveway and for fuel," Keranen said. "The winter was more expensive."
She has a mobility problem, also, Keranen said, because she has a bad knee and has to use a wheelchair to get around. Even getting to the end of the driveway to get her newspaper was a problem.
The lack of mobility issue was hampered by the amount of snowfall, Keranen said, so even doing regular chores was especially difficult.
"I probably didn't get to the store as much," she said. "I sent my daughter or one of the home helpers."
January was one of the 10 coldest ever recorded. Keranen said her home is heated with fuel oil, and because she started heating earlier in the year than she usually does, that expense has been a problem for her.
"I'm a little behind in my heating bill," she said.
To supplement her fuel oil furnace, Keranen said she used a small amount of cut wood provided by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly in Hancock for her wood stove. LBFE Executive Director Mike Aten said the organization's fire wood service has been very busy this winter because of high fuel oil prices.
"The winter has really caused hardships there," he said. "We gave out more wood (this winter) than we ever have."
Aten said LBFE also has a food pantry, and this winter that service has been busier than usual, also.
"We're having more food requests than we had last year," he said.
Although he doesn't know for certain why that is, Aten said he suspects it's because the seniors they work with who are on fixed incomes are having to pay more for heating this winter, which means they have less for food.
"They're having trouble with their bills," he said.
Michigan does provide assistance for people who need help paying utility bills, but Aten said many seniors are reluctant to take advantage of it because they don't want to fill out the paperwork required to get assistance.
"A lot of elderly people won't ask for help," he said.
Aten said LBFE also provides a transportation service to Marquette General Health System, and there has been an increase in the number of people using it, although he thinks that's more an effect of the amount of snow rather than an increase in illness or injury.
So far the cold snowy winter hasn't led to an increase in admissions of elderly residents to the Portage Health emergency room for weather-related illness or injury, according to Chief Medical Officer Kirk Lufkin.
"We would track injuries of a cold nature, such as hypothermia," Lufkin said. "We've had a good year as far as respiratory flu."
The low numbers of admissions for flu are probably due to adequate use of flu vaccine in the community, Lufkin said.
There hasn't been an increase in admissions for broken bones from falls caused by snow or ice, either, Lufkin said.
One problem that has emerged this winter is an increase in the number of older people coming to the ER with symptoms of a stomach virus, Lufkin said, which was working its way through the community this winter. That problem is more common in children and younger adults.
"It's unusual in older folks," he said.
The increase in older people getting the stomach virus may be related to the colder-than-normal temperatures, Lufkin said, but he isn't certain.
The fact that there hasn't been an increase in weather-related problems in elderly residents is probably due to the fact that most people know what winter is all about, Lufkin said.
"I think the Copper Country is much better prepared to handle colder winters," he said.
Sarah Baratono, who is a social worker at Keweenaw Home Nursing & Hospice, said some of the older people she works with have had trouble getting around this winter.
"It's been so icy, a lot of people have been afraid to go out," she said.
Many of those people are needing extra help with clearing the snow from their driveways and sidewalks, also, Baratono said.
She hasn't seen an increase in flu in the people she works with, either, Baratono said.
"A majority of our patients get flu shots," she said.
Not all elderly people get assistance during the winter, but Baratono said they still may need help without saying anything.
"If you have an elderly neighbor, see if they need help," she said.
Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@ mininggazette.com.
