Retirement Living How to help when the cold comes

Arecent YouGov poll that found that one in seven older people may not turn their heating on this winter due to the cost-ofliving crisis. As autumn sets in and temperatures start to drop, we spoke to New Care Homes, a care home operator based in the North West – with residences including Grappenhall Manor and Grosvenor Manor in Cheshire – about ways to support the elderly and vulnerable during the colder months.

Dawn Collett, commissioning director at New Care said: “Family members and neighbours can play a vital role in helping to support older and at-risk people in their communities, whether it’s checking in or offering to pick up essentials from the supermarket. Small tasks and points of contact can go a long way, for example:

1. Make sure there’s adequate heating

This might seem obvious but it’s so important. Ideally, living rooms should be heated to 21°C and the rest of the home to around 18°C.

2. Stock the food cupboard

Eating warm and nutritionally dense foods is incredibly important during the winter months. Regular shopping trips can be difficult, even dangerous in certain weather conditions. Bring a warm meal around when you can, offer to do a food shop or organise deliveries.

Over-55s stay focused

3. Pick up medication or order online

Regular medication for health issues is essential, but poor weather can make it difficult to visit the local pharmacy. Offer to go for them or help to arrange online services. The NHS operates a free online repeat prescription service and many pharmacies deliver.

4. Keep them bundled up

Staying warm isn’t just about the heating; warm clothing plays a role too. Ageing skin is thinner and less able to tolerate fluctuating temperatures. As a result, older people lose body heat faster.

5. Keep pathways clear

Sometimes going outside is a necessity, especially for medical appointments. Icy pathways pose a significant fall risk, even for the sure-footed. Older bones can take longer to heal, and recovery can take its toll on both physical and mental well-being.

6. Stay in contact iSIPP’s research found that nearly a quarter (23 percent) of retirement savers who have cut back on retirement savings in the past year have done so multiple times and 45 percent have done so at least once before. The comparable figures for over-55s are 17 and 34 percent. iSIPP managing director Hrishi Kulkarni said: “It is encouraging that savers over 55 have largely been able to maintain pension savings despite the continuing financial pressures from high inflation and rising interest rates.

Contact with others is more important than ever during the winter. Not only does it mean that people can ask for help when needed, it can also provides much-needed socialisation. Also make sure they have a list of emergency numbers that are labelled and accessible.

Over-55s have maintained their focus on pension savings, despite the temptation to cut back in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, new research from pension provider iSIPP shows. The study found that under one in three (31 percent) of over-55s saving into company or personal pensions has reduced the amount they contribute or stopped entirely in the past 12 months as bills have soared. By contrast, nearly two out of five (39 percent) of under- 35s have cut back and 35 percent of those aged between 35 and 44.

It is also interesting that they are less likely to have cut pension savings in the past, which should help their final retirement income as they will have had the benefit of saving as much as possible for as long as possible.

‘Younger generations still have time to recover from the financial shocks of the past few years and should, where possible, prioritise pensions.”

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