With energy prices still high and the cost-of-living continuing to grip millions of people across the UK, many are struggling to heat their home – something that can be damaging to health or even fatal.
People over the age of 65 or those with a certain pre-existing health condition are more susceptible to developing illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes or chest infections if their home remains at a low temperature.
For the oldest people in society getting into a very cold bed could be “fatal”.
An expert shared tips for staying warm at home
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The group chief executive at Age UK Kent Rivers John Norley told GB News: “It can be [fatal] if someone is very elderly and struggling to keep their body heat, it can make the difference between getting through the night or not.”
Mr Norley shared some of the quick tips the charity gives people to ensure they stay as warm as possible during winter.
He said: “One of the things we recommend is slippers, dressing gown, gloves to keep your extremities warm.
“Put a hot water bottle into your bed before you get in at night and that means it’s a nice warm bed you’re getting into and your body temperature will stay at a good level to keep yourself nice and warm, a lot of people don’t realise older people getting into a very cold bed has a real impact on their body temperature.”
Research for Age UK reveals that 60 per cent of people over 60 with a household income of £20,000 or less have cut back on heating or powering their homes in order to stay within their budget.
Cold weather brings all sorts of risks for older people and vulnerable people, it’s not things that we think about growing up but when we reach an older age there are big challenges.
One of the biggest ones is around the cost of heating a home, when you’re on a fixed income like a pension that might be supported with a little bit of top-up you really have to think carefully about putting your heating on, turning the thermostat up a couple of notches.
He recommended placing a hot water bottle in bed
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John said many people concerned about the cost of heating their home face “a real dilemma” of whether to risk putting the heating on and not being able to pay the bill or put several layers on and just heat and live in one room when it’s cold.
This week the UK Health Security Agency issued an amber cold health alert across many parts of the country as temperatures dropped.
The amber alert is issued when the weather could pose a risk across the whole health service for an extended period.
The NHS recommends heating your home to at least 18C, which is particularly important if you have reduced mobility, are aged 65 and over or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease.
