Winter Awareness

Every year over 25,000 older people die of preventable cold related illnesses in the winter – that’s one every seven minutes. To protect yourself in the winter, it’s important to take steps to stay warm and avoid any illnesses going round. Follow our advice below to help stay safe in winter:

  • Stay Active – when indoors, try not to sit still for more than an hour. Get up and walk around or make yourself a hot drink. If walking is difficult, you can do chair based exercises.
  • Eat Well – Have at least one hot meal a day and hot drinks. Stock up on basic food in case a cold snap means you can’t get to the shops. Make sure you eat enough – being underweight makes you more susceptible to infections.
  • Keep To A Safe Temperature – Your house should be heated at 21°C during the day, and 18°C at night. Any lower can be dangerous. If you’re still cold at this temperature, you should turn the heating up.
  • Shut Your Bedroom Window – Keep your bedroom window closed at night as the cold air can cause chest infections.
  • Take Care When Driving – Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to arrive. Keep an emergency kit with warm clothes, food, water, boots, a torch and a spade in your car.
  • Keep Your Spirits Up – make sure that winter isn’t making you feel lonely and depressed. Why not come to our activities to socialise in the winter?