Older people often have to take a little extra care with many aspects of daily life. That’s partly because ageing typically means less physical resilience – to illness, injury and more.

So, it’s no surprise that elderly people also need to do more to stay safe during winter. However, the good news is that some simple safety steps can make a big difference in protecting an older person during cold weather.

In this post, we’ll discuss what the dangers are in wintertime with tips to address each one.

Why are cold spells risky for the elderly?

The cold weather poses lots of risks for older people. Below, we’ll focus on three major ones that all seniors and their loved ones should be aware of.

Blood pressure and heart attacks

Did you know that blood pressure rises in cold temperatures?

It’s true, and this is one reason why the NHS sees an increase in heart attacks and strokes after patches of cold weather. In the cold, heart rate also rises, and blood becomes more likely to clot. All this adds up to a greater likelihood of emergencies like heart attacks and strokes, especially for elderly people who already have heart conditions or struggle with high blood pressure.

Breathing problems

Cold weather doesn’t just cause the arteries to grow tighter. It also tightens your windpipe, which can cause difficulties in breathing for seniors who have lung-related health conditions.

It’s worth mentioning that risks of flu and other respiratory illnesses increase during the winter, partly because people are often indoors where germs are circulating in the air. No, cold air doesn’t directly cause people to become ill, but tough colds and flu are definitely a concern in wintertime – and, again, the worst impacts may be felt by seniors with weakened immune systems or who are generally more frail. Older people in general may be less able to fight off a bad cold, too.

Falls

Ice and snow on the ground will naturally raise the risk of falling – particularly for older people who have diminished strength, balance or mobility.

Why does this matter? Because falls are a major concern when it comes to elderly people’s wellbeing and healthcare. The NHS takes them so seriously that GPs are trained to help seniors address their risk of falls, and you may even be able to access specialist falls prevention services in your area.

Falls can be harmful to older people in many ways. For one, they can result in injuries such as broken hips, which can end up having a long-term impact on a person’s health. A long period of time bed-bound because of a fall injury can be hard to recover from and can mean a move to a care home.

Moreover, a ‘long lie’ – a fall resulting in an hour or more spent lying on the floor – can have severe impacts, too. These include hypothermia, pressure sores and reduced future mobility because of a painful fear of falling again.

Long story short, it’s essential for elderly people to do all they can to reduce their chance of falling when it’s frosty outdoors.

Steps to help keep seniors safe when it’s cold

So, we can see that some of the dangers of wintertime can be addressed by keeping an older person warm and by taking steps to reduce the risk of falls. Below, we’ll discuss how to do just that.

Heating

Health authorities are pretty clear about what room temperature range is typically safe for everyone, including the elderly.

The lower threshold for safety is 18° Celsius, according to many sources including the Met Office. Below this point, the health effects of cold that we’ve explored above begin to kick in more and more.

But that doesn’t mean a room temp of 18° Celsius is enough for all seniors. Some research suggests that people with high blood pressure or heart conditions could benefit from room temperatures of 20°.

Of course, it can be tricky to keep the heating on high enough to achieve this level of warmth. The Winter Fuel Payment can be helpful for those who are eligible. Actions like blocking out under-floor drafts with draft excluders can also help keep heat in.

Another step that can help is…

Clothing

Warm clothing is also essential, as you might imagine. It doesn’t just help add warmth indoors – it’s absolutely crucial to protect an older person’s health outdoors.

Here, the traditional advice applies. Layers of lighter clothing may work better than a single layer of heavier clothing because they trap heat between the layers. Wool socks can help warm up cold feet, and outdoors of course you’ll want a warm hat and gloves.

You may also see heated clothing for seniors as an option on some clothing sites. Choosing these is a personal decision, but it’s important to keep in mind that heated jackets or other clothes may not be the safest choice for some elderly people. This is because of what may happen when the heated clothes become too warm. Older people’s bodies can react more slowly to excess heat, leaving them at risk of overheating without realising it. Another factor is that seniors’ skin is more fragile, which puts them at a greater risk of burns.

Minimising risks of falls

We’ve talked about steps to address body temperature. How about winterising homes to tackle the risk of falls in winter?

Many people benefit from putting salt or grit on paths outside their homes to prevent slipping. Good outdoor lighting and firm handrails by steps are also a must.

Although it’s important to keep watch on the accumulation of snow and ice around a home, seniors should think twice before going out for a tiring session of snow-shovelling or ice-clearing. That’s because this is a prime occasion for heart attacks and strokes to occur – during heavy exertion in cold weather.

Managing cold-related health risks

There’s one final game-changing action to take for protection in the case of heart attacks, a breathing emergency or a fall. So far, we’ve discussed how to prevent these from occurring. But since it’s not possible to eliminate all risks, seniors also need to have a plan in place for safety if a crisis does occur.

What’s necessary here is an elderly personal alarm. Worn on the wrist or as a pendant, it’s always within a senior’s reach, even if they’ve fallen or are too ill to walk to get a phone.

A personal alarm’s purpose is to get an older person help fast in an emergency. It can do this via an SOS button that the wearer simply needs to press to call for help. In situations where an older person is too ill to manage walking to a phone and using it, the personal alarm makes calling for help as easy and quick as possible. The senior simply needs to press and hold a single button for a few seconds. Then they can talk through the alarm to either family and friends or a response centre.

In cases where an elderly person loses consciousness too quickly even to press a button, there’s another functionality that can help. Alarms with fall detection are constantly checking to see whether their wearer has fallen. If the sensors on the alarm and its internal algorithm do decide that a fall has occurred, the alarm will call for help all by itself.

Call on SureSafe to protect your older loved ones this winter

At SureSafe, we’re leading UK providers of elderly personal alarms that are effective and easy to use – as our stellar reviews show.

If you’d like to chat with us about how a personal alarm can protect your older loved one in the cold, just get in touch! We’re reachable by phone on 0808 189 1671 and by live chat, or you can request a call back.