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How To Stay Warm This Winter

With weather reports for increasingly cold conditions, everyone needs to be prepared. When people are younger, they tend to take the cold weather in their stride but as we get older, we need to prepare properly for intense cold. That means preparing your home and preparing your own self. As carers, we at Comfort Keepers will be ensuring that our clients stay warm and safe this winter.

Preparing Your Home Against The Cold:

  • Drawing the curtains in all of the rooms as it gets dark helps to insulate them against the cold, particularly if the fabric is heavy and the curtains have a good lining.
  • Hanging a heavy interlined curtain inside the front door will help to insulate the front hall and landing.
  • Placing draught excluders against exterior doors and the door of the main living room will help to prevent chilling draughts.
  • The trusty hot water bottle or electric blanket in bed ensures that your body temperature doesn’t dip when you first get into bed. If you find it chilly in the mornings, it may be time to replace the hot water bottle with an electric blanket so you can switch it back on for a little while. Never use both together.
  • Apparently, many older people are staying in bed longer in the mornings in order to stay warm. With the dark mornings, this option is certainly tempting. However, don’t overdo it – it is better to be up and about if you can.
  • Keeping the heating on low can be more cost effective than short blasts of high heat and will also help to keep rooms at a constant temperature.

Preparing Yourself For The Cold:

  • Wear layers of clothes so it is easier to stay warm and to remove or add one layer at at time.
  • Taking some exercise is good for the mood and for the blood circulation – even a gentle walk will warm you up but take care with icy pavements. When we feel cold, we often don’t feel like taking some exercise but a walk around the park or to the local shop, if the weather permits, will get your circulation moving. Even doing some gentle exercise in the house will help too.
  • Ensure that you eat protein during the day – an even distribution of protein can be beneficial for maintaining your muscle mass thereby preventing the incidence of fractures and falls. Consuming milk, yoghurt and cheese products will maintain your protein and calcium intake.

If it is icy outside, it’s extremely important to take care of your step on icy pavements. Wait for your Comfort Keepers Home Carer to accompany you on your daily walk if it is icy or to advise on whether it is safe. As carers, we often help our clients prepare their meals too thereby ensuring a healthy balanced diet. We hope these tips have been helpful in showing you how to stay warm this winter.

Contact us here if you would like to ask us about arranging for home care.

If you would like to apply for one of our Home Care Vacancies, you can do so here.
photo credit: HA! Designs – Artbyheather via photopincc

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