4 Ways To Keep Elderly Relatives Warm In Winter

As we get older, it’s easier for us to feel the temperature more intensely. Our health can also be affected by it more than we had imagined. That’s why it’s always wise to attend to our elderly loved ones as the winter arrives and bites more than we may be expecting. Checking in with them daily and making sure the interior of their household is warm enough, especially in the areas that matter, will be a good use of your time.

On top of that, it’s important to ensure the systems they use to keep their house warm are manageable and correctly implemented, so even when you’re not present, they can easily flip a button or use a comforter and find themselves relaxed.

In this post, we’ll discuss some ways to help them achieve that through their household, and via small gifts you can buy.

Hot Water Bottles

If you know your loved one can be trusted to use hot water okay (we don’t want to risk burns after all!) they can be a nice way to warm a bed and make them feel more comfortable in it. They’re also inexpensive, easy to use, and provide instant coziness which can be lovely, especially when wrapped up at night with a book. For elderly loved ones, they’re perfect for keeping feet warm in bed too, or easing aches and pains during the day. They’re also easy to knit covers for and so this can be a nice side project. Making sure they have some of these around is wise.

Heated Blankets

If there’s one thing better than snuggling up under a blanket, it’s doing so with one that’s already toasty. Heated blankets are a brilliant option for keeping the chill away from your loved one who may feel the cold more than you do, especially during the icier months when the central heating might not feel like quite enough or cover them completely. Better yet, they’re quite cheap to run. Just look for blankets with easy-to-use controls, ideally ones with clear buttons and adjustable heat settings, and even shut-off timers to help your loved one manage them more easily.

Boiler Repair & Maintenance

Nothing puts a dampener (literally) on winter like a boiler breaking down at the wrong time. Unfortunately, older systems are more likely to give out just when you need them most. That’s why making sure your loved one’s boiler is in good shape before the cold really sets in is a must, and if you help them, you may be able to use a boiler upgrade scheme to give them a new gas boiler replacement at a fraction of the cost they might otherwise incur. 

At the very least, it’s worth Organizing a professional inspection to check for any issues, as many companies offer affordable boiler servicing plans that include repairs if anything goes wrong later. It’s also worth ensuring they know how to operate the system properly, like setting timers or adjusting the thermostat, or even just knowing how to check and top up the water pressure.

Radiator Upkeep

Radiators can be turned on or off at your leisure, but they can lose efficiency over time, especially if they haven’t been looked at or bled in a while.. Ensuring the radiators in your loved one’s home are working well can make their heating more effective without necessarily cranking up the heating and that can save cash.

As we hinted at, bleeding the radiators releases trapped air, which can block heat from circulating properly. It’s a simple job that doesn’t take much time, but it’s incredibly helpful and can last for an entire season. If the radiator covers are dusty or cluttered with things like drying clothes, that can also prevent heat from spreading through the room, so make sure they know how to avoid bad habits such as this. 

Of course, it’s not just radiators that can keep rooms warm during the colder months. In fact, you may be surprised just how well AC units can heat certain areas of the house (yes, they’re not just for cooling in the summer), and they tend to be very cost-effective compared to central heating.

With this advice, we hope you can help to keep your elderly loved one warmer in winter. While it’s true that fuel payment cut has been considered a controversial government choice, you may still be eligible for extra support depending on the conditions of your loved one, and contacting Citizens Advice can be helpful in that respect.