Tips to help the elderly in winter
As energy prices continue to rise, a lot of elderly people struggle to heat their homes properly during the cold winter months. When added to the fact that a lot of elderly people aren’t as mobile as they used to be, this means they are often unable to get out and about leading to them feeling cold, lonely and isolated. So, what can we do to help ensure that our older relatives, friends and neighbours feel safe and well looked after all year round?
In this blog post we will give you the best winter health tips for elderly people and the plans you can put in place to ensure they stay safe and comfortable.
1. Stock Up on Essentials
Because elderly people often find it difficult to get to the shops in adverse weather conditions, it is important they always have a good stock of essentials. This includes not only food but also any medication they may need. Try and make sure they always have at least 7 days worth of medicines to hand along with a fully stocked first aid kit.
You should fill up your family members/friend’s pantry with preservable goods. Tins and dried goods are a great way to ensure they’ll have a supply of food if they cannot get to the shops or a supermarket. Another thing you could do is prepare some meals that they can put in the freezer, meaning that they always have food at hand if and when they are unable to get out.
It is also important to make sure they have a supply of other useful items such as a flashlight, batteries and blankets to ensure they are covered in the event of power cuts.
2. Encourage them to exercise
It’s so important that the elderly try to keep occupied during the winter months, both for their physical health and mental well being. Regular exercise will help keep their body temperature up, keep joints mobile and increase their appetite. If they can’t exercise outdoors, then check your local council’s facilities. They may have events and activities that include a pick-up and drop off service.
Even if your elderly friend or relative finds it difficult to get outdoors, there are exercises they can do in the house. There is now lots of affordable home gym equipment that gives your elderly relatives the opportunity to do low impact exercises inside until the weather improves and they can get out the house again.
Another good source of information is the internet. For example, there are lots of low impact workouts available on YouTube for seniors such as the one below.
3. Install a stairlift
If your elderly family members or friends have stairs in their home, it could make getting around difficult. If anyone you know struggles to get up and down the stairs or is concerned about falling, you should think about installing a stairlift for them.
At Leodis, we have a wide range of models suitable for use on any kind of staircase. No matter whether your staircase is a straight narrow one or has lots of bends, we can help. We can install one of our straight or curved stairlifts quickly allowing your elderly friend or relative to move safely around their home and retain some independence.
For people on a budget, we have a range of reconditioned used stairlifts that have all the features as our new stairlifts but at a lower cost. You can also get stairlifts with some really helpful, additional features too such as a powered swivel seat, automatic footrest and/or hinge, making it much easier and safer to get on and off or to avoid a trip hazard.
If you would like to find out how one of our stairlifts can make life easier for your elderly neighbour or relative, call the experts here at Leodis today on 0800 542 6045. We can even come out and do a free home survey to help determine which type of stairlift best meets their needs.
4. Clean Pathways
Clearing pathways during the bad weather is one of the more important safety precautions, so be sure to do this regularly for your elderly relatives, friends and neighbours. It can be dangerous for them to attempt it themselves, as there’s a real risk of them slipping or falling and hurting themselves.
To prepare for this, make sure you stock up on a bag of coarse salt and a good, wide shovel. This will ensure that you can be ready to grit paths or steps for them before any heavy frosts. In the event of snow, these areas can be cleared quickly, easily and can make a world of difference for the elderly.
If your family member or neighbour has a garden on different levels with steps, this could prohibit them from using the whole of their garden. In this case, it may be worth considering one of our outdoor stairlift. This will allow them to continue to enjoy their garden, even in adverse weather conditions.
5. Insulate Their Home
It is well known that being cold presents a number of additional health risks. Therefore, it is important to make sure they keep the temperature in their home a comfortable temperature and prevent draughts.
One excellent way of doing this is by ensuring their home is fully insulated. Make sure any attics have good insulation that hasn’t deteriorated and add draught excluders to both doors and windows.
Take time to understand how to correctly set their thermostat as this will help save energy. If they don’t already have one, you could suggest investing in a smart thermostat for their home.
This would allow you to control the temperature from your mobile device, letting you increase it during cold periods for them, which is especially useful if you aren’t able to pop in to do this manually for them and ensures you can check in and help your relatives keep warm from anywhere.
6. If They Drive, Make Sure Their Car is Winter Ready
If your elderly relative or friend drives, make sure they are safe when on the road.
Ensure they get their tyres checked before winter starts. They may even want to consider switching to winter tyres or use snow chains if they live in the countryside or on high ground where the weather can be worse.
Make sure they have an emergency first aid kit in the car just in case they get stuck. This should include:
- A small shovel
- A set of jump leads
- A hi-vis jacket
- A blanket
- A bottle of water
- Some energy maintaining snacks
7. Mobile phones
If your elderly family member or friend has a mobile phone, please ensure they keep it close at hand, fully charged and programmed with all the emergency contact numbers they may need, from local services to family and friends. The same goes for house phones too.
8. Eliminate the risk of fire
Luckily, there are very few fire risks in modern homes. Most used to start from old electrical items, or chip pans left unattended. That being said, please take a look at their appliances and make sure they’re all safe to use and checked by a professional if needed.
It is also very important to test any warning alarms they have in their home, such as smoke detectors, or fire and carbon monoxide alarms. Again, please check and replace their batteries regularly, to ensure they are all in good working order.
9. Help the Elderly
Hopefully the above tips will help you prepare effectively for the winter so you can keep your elderly family members and friends safe and warm. It would be good to create a checklist for each of the items above well in advance, so you have time to get any items you need from the shops and prepare accordingly.
Also, it’s important to stay connected with family and friends to make sure they’re OK and to check and see if there’s anything else they need. If they live alone they’ll appreciate you checking in, even if it’s just for a good old natter. If you have an elderly relative who lives far away from you, there are voluntary organisations that can help deliver shopping and pick up prescriptions in most areas find out more here.
Leodis Stairlifts provide a wide range of very affordable stairlifts to keep your friends and family safe and able to carry on living independently in their own homes. Get in touch on 0800 542 6045 and we can send one of our friendly surveyors to carry out a free, no obligation home survey.
