Metro Detroit neighbors step up to help elderly man shoveling snow
MACOMB, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A community in Macomb County offered support to an elderly man during the harsh winter.
Last week, a neighbor filmed the man in Macomb shoveling his driveway, while sitting in a folding chair. The woman, who requested to remain anonymous, said she was home alone with small children, and couldn't help, so she called a neighbor.
She says she and her husband decided to cover the man's snow removal through their landscaper for the rest of the winter. It's an example of neighbors helping neighbors and supporting each other through the harsh winter.
According to the National Institute of Aging, older adults are at risk of a heart attack while shoveling snow. Experts with AARP advise older adults to be mindful of shoveling snow as the risk of a heart attack depends on fitness and previous cardiovascular risk factors, such as a history of cardiac or vascular disease, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
The snow can weigh more than it appears to and can strain the body. Cold weather also increases the risk of heart attacks, serious falls, or other injuries.
Experts recommend using a snowblower, not shoveling after eating, pushing the snow and not lifting it, lifting smaller loads, protecting your back, and taking frequent breaks.
