![The agency says Ohioans should check on their older relatives and make sure they have a three-day emergency plan should the weather get worse.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a717536/2147483647/strip/true/crop/800x533+0+0/resize/880x586!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmediad.publicbroadcasting.net%2Fp%2Fwksu%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fmedium%2Fpublic%2F201602%2Fshoveling_snow_-_credit_wikimedia_commons.jpg)
The state says the cold weather is especially dangerous for older Ohioans.
The Ohio Department of Aging’s John Ratliff says senior citizens are at risk in very cold weather.
“As we age, our bodies react to extreme conditions a little bit differently. Our skin gets thinner. And we have to keep in mind that medications we take can also affect how our body can respond to extreme cold.”
Ratliff says the agency is asking Ohioans to check on their older relatives, neighbors and friends to make sure they are warm, taking their medications and eating and drinking regularly. And he says to make sure senior citizens have a three-day preparedness plan if they are unable to leave their homes due to extreme weather.
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