Winter is on its way and temperatures are set to plummet, making certain members of the community particularly vulnerable.
If you are elderly or disabled, it is extremely important to your health and well-being that you stay safe and secure during the colder seasons.
Whether you are staying in residential elderly care, respite care or are living independently, there are a number of tips that can ensure you are taken care of during winter.
Let's start inside your home or room if you are a recipient of residential elderly care, make sure all areas of your accommodation are well ventilated and that all vents are working as they should be, it is recommended that you call in a professional to complete these vital checks.
Draught-proofing your property is essential as gaps and holes are common in interior and exterior walls, pipes, windows and doors and should be filled just in time for the winter months to keep warm air in and cool air outside where it belongs.
Ensuring holes are filled will also help reduce your heating costs! Schedule your home in for its very own winter health check if you live independently, a Gas Safe accredited engineer should be called upon to give all gas appliances a once over and ensure that there are no leakages and any faulty devices are either repaired or replaced.
In addition to this, double check that your smoke alarm is working correctly; increased usage of gas appliances during the winter time leave everyone at greater risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you are using electrically powered appliances to heat your home, make sure these are properly guarded and operated as electric fires are all too common.
Ensure adapters found throughout the home are not overloaded and have all appliances checked to maintain full safety.
It's not just inside your home where precautions should be taken; your home's exterior condition must also be safeguarded.
Before winter rolls in ask a friend or family member to check the roof for loose, missing or broken tiles, ensure gutters and drains aren't damaged and secure garden furniture that may flyaway during high winds.
Also, make sure you have your driveway cleaned and ensure it free from leaves and moss so that when you do venture outside of your home there is reduced risk of trips, slips and falls.
Conclusion Whether you live in a residential care home or living independently, by simply taking these steps and carrying out a winter home health check you can safeguard your own health and well-being during the cooler months - make sure you're covered for even the harshest weather conditions.
If you are elderly or disabled, it is extremely important to your health and well-being that you stay safe and secure during the colder seasons.
Whether you are staying in residential elderly care, respite care or are living independently, there are a number of tips that can ensure you are taken care of during winter.
Let's start inside your home or room if you are a recipient of residential elderly care, make sure all areas of your accommodation are well ventilated and that all vents are working as they should be, it is recommended that you call in a professional to complete these vital checks.
Draught-proofing your property is essential as gaps and holes are common in interior and exterior walls, pipes, windows and doors and should be filled just in time for the winter months to keep warm air in and cool air outside where it belongs.
Ensuring holes are filled will also help reduce your heating costs! Schedule your home in for its very own winter health check if you live independently, a Gas Safe accredited engineer should be called upon to give all gas appliances a once over and ensure that there are no leakages and any faulty devices are either repaired or replaced.
In addition to this, double check that your smoke alarm is working correctly; increased usage of gas appliances during the winter time leave everyone at greater risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you are using electrically powered appliances to heat your home, make sure these are properly guarded and operated as electric fires are all too common.
Ensure adapters found throughout the home are not overloaded and have all appliances checked to maintain full safety.
It's not just inside your home where precautions should be taken; your home's exterior condition must also be safeguarded.
Before winter rolls in ask a friend or family member to check the roof for loose, missing or broken tiles, ensure gutters and drains aren't damaged and secure garden furniture that may flyaway during high winds.
Also, make sure you have your driveway cleaned and ensure it free from leaves and moss so that when you do venture outside of your home there is reduced risk of trips, slips and falls.
Conclusion Whether you live in a residential care home or living independently, by simply taking these steps and carrying out a winter home health check you can safeguard your own health and well-being during the cooler months - make sure you're covered for even the harshest weather conditions.
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