Winter can be a delightful time with festive holidays, new year’s fireworks and the beauty of snow.

But for older people, it can also be a challenging time. For one thing, the cost-of-living crisis continues to make heating homes expensive. What’s more, the early darkness and frost that come with winter can raise the risks of medical emergencies and falls, which can be especially dangerous to seniors.

However, there are plenty of gadgets that can help older people to stay safer and warmer in wintertime. In this post, we’ll discuss tech tools that tackle seasonal cold and keep seniors protected in this more dangerous season.

Warming gadgets

Let’s start off with the cosy topic of warmth.

Why does warmth matter?

Obviously, feeling chilly is unpleasant for anyone. But the problems connected with cold, particularly for the elderly, go beyond discomfort.

Lower body temperatures and room temperatures are associated with worse health outcomes in the elderly. Two main areas of concern here are breathing and blood pressure. Cold air tightens the windpipe, making it more difficult to breathe, especially for elderly people who already have breathing problems like emphysema.

Moreover, it’s proven that chillier environments typically raise blood pressure. That can mean an increased chance of heart attacks and strokes for those who are already at risk.

So, it’s more than worthwhile taking steps to help an older person get warmer. Some gadgets that can help are…

Heated blankets

Heated blankets might be one of the first options that comes to mind when we mention warming tech solutions. And they can be very helpful, as they cover much of the body to help seniors stay warm.

But heated blankets, like many warming tech solutions, do have some limitations. They can be a fire hazard, so check the UK government’s electric blanket fire safety advice and have your blanket tested by a local fire service every 3 years to ensure it’s still safe to use.

Heated clothing

Another option is heated clothing, which usually runs on a battery to provide warmth throughout a garment like a vest or jacket.

These may be a good choice for older people who like to be outdoors in cooler weather. However, they also can carry a risk of fire, as mentioned above.

It’s also important to remember that older people may also have more difficulty regulating their body temperatures in excess heat as well as cold. That’s why they are more vulnerable to heatstroke. So, there is a risk of overheating in this type of garment – especially for seniors with dementia who may be unable to express that they are too hot. And people with pacemakers may wish to ask their doctor whether it's safe for them to wear this electric technology near their heart.

With heated clothing for the elderly, it may be best to keep the warming aspect at lower levels or to wear them for shorter periods.

Heated cup warmers

Everyone knows that a warm drink can help you stay warm! Plus, it’s often good to encourage elderly people to drink liquids, as they can be prone to dehydration.

But hot drinks can become lukewarm quickly in cool air. That’s why heated cup warmers or even heated mugs can make a huge difference in keeping a drink at the right temperature.

A cup warmer is generally a small, heated disc or warming plate that a mug can be placed on. These range from simple devices to “smart” mugs that allow you to set a specific temperature for the contents – which could be helpful for seniors with dementia who are unable to tell whether their drink is too hot.

Hand warmers

There are many types of hand warmers, including ones that work on batteries and disposable ones that heat when chemicals inside are mixed together. However, the core principle of them is the same – they are kept in pockets on cold days to keep your hands warm.

These can be useful for situations like outdoor events where an older person has to stand or sit still for some time.

Winter safety

Preventing an older person’s body temperature from dropping is already a great step toward winter safety. But there are other gadgets that can help keep the home warm and safe, too. Many of these gadgets can also help conserve heat, which saves money for warming when it’s needed most.

Additionally, it’s worth remembering that cold in British homes can lead to the common problem of mould and damp – which might not be noticed by a senior with poorer eyesight and sense of smell. So, keeping a home heated appropriately protects elderly people from illness that could be caused by this issue, too.

Smart thermostats

A smart thermostat is a great choice because, as we’ve mentioned, older people may not be able to judge their home’s temperature as well. They may not notice when the heat has dropped too low.

Another handy aspect of a smart thermostat is that it can often be programmed to turn the heating on and off at specific times. So, the thermostat could start the house warming up ahead of a senior’s waking-up time. Or a thermostat could allow the home to be a bit cooler when a senior is out for the day – but turn the heat back up an hour before anyone returns home.

Home monitoring systems

Home monitoring systems, or smart home systems, can be useful to elderly people in many ways. For seniors who live alone, they can help “keep an eye on things” when the resident becomes older and getting about becomes more difficult.

In colder weather, they can also help by working with the smart thermometer and responding to voice commands. When properly connected, they can even open and close blinds on a schedule to allow warmth and heat in during sunlight hours while preventing heat loss at night.

These functions can be important when an older person’s mobility decreases and it’s more difficult for them to walk around the house to check each room’s temperature and close blinds.

Hygrometer

A hygrometer is a little bit like a thermometer. It’s a small device that senses the humidity in the room as well as the temperature.

This is key in homes that are prone to mould and damp. Mould can flourish when the air humidity is above 60%, so a hygrometer allows an older person to keep an eye on things. If the humidity is too high, that could be a signal to turn on a dehumidifier or take other action to dry out the home.

Personal alarms

All of the above steps can help to keep a senior safe from the health effects of cold weather on both their bodies and their homes.

However, there will always be risks associated with winter that we can’t prevent. Pipes can burst, older people can slip on ice, or high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack despite our best efforts.

That’s why an older person needs a plan for getting help in case an emergency does occur.

A great solution here is a personal alarm for the elderly. Available in the form of a pendant or a smartwatch, this gadget ensures that a way to call for assistance is always within a senior’s reach, even if they are unable to get to a phone because they are unwell or lying on icy ground.

By simply pressing and holding a single button, an elderly person experiencing a crisis can call for help via their personal alarm. Alarms with a fall detection feature are also designed to sense some falls all on their own and raise an alert – even if the fallen person is unconscious and unable to take action.

All this adds up to a great layer of protection for older people against the risks they face in winter.

Winter safety from SureSafe

Why do we know so much about winter safety?

Because at SureSafe, we are experts in protecting seniors, whatever the weather. We’re a leading provider of personal alarms in the UK and our stellar reviews show how our alarms have helped thousands of elderly people.

So, if you’re a senior or an older person’s loved one, we’re here to help you with elderly safety in wintertime and throughout the year. If you’d like to discuss how our alarms work or which one might be right for you, just give our expert team a ring at 0808 189 1671. We’re also available to talk through live chat, or you can request a call back.