Top 10 tips on keeping warm:
1. Have at least one hot meal a day, and drink hot drinks regularly
2. Keep moving - a little exercise will help keep you well even it it's indoors
3. Wrap up warmly whenever you go outside and always dress warmly for bed
4. Wearing several layers of clothing keeps you warmer than one thick layer
5. Keeping warm at home is vital. Your home should be heated to a temperature of 21°C or 70°F.
6. Close bedroom windows at night to keep the warmth in and the cold air out
7. Reduce your heating bills by improving the insulation of your home - Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 512012 gives:
- free and independent advice on energy efficiency,
- advice on how to claim improvement grants,
- a free "do it yourself" home energy check to help cut fuel bills
8. If your electric blanket is over 10 years old get a new one. Never have a hot water bottle if you also use an electric blanket
9. Do you have Gas? Register with your Gas Supplier as customers over pensionable age can ask for a free safety check each year
10. The Winter Fuel Payment Helpline is on:
08459 15 15 15
(0845 601 5613 for textphone users). Lines are open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Charges are the same as for local calls.
Getting too cold can result in Hypethermia. Symptoms of hypothermia take effect in three stages. The first stage - mild hypothermia - is characterised by:
- Bouts of shivering;
- Grogginess and muddled thinking.
Indicators of moderate hypothermia are:
- Violent shivering or shivering which suddenly stops;
- Inability to think and pay attention;
- Slow, shallow breathing;
- Slow, weak pulse.
Severe hypothermia has set in when:
- Shivering stops;
- The person loses consciousness;
- There is little or no breathing;
- Pulse is weak, irregular or non-existent.