10 minute read

DANGERS OF OLDER PEOPLE GETTING TOO COLD

By Christina Uppenkamp - Home Instead

Older adults very often need more support to maintain their core body temperature. With a thinner layer of fat under the skin, and the difficulties they face in being physically active, they are more susceptible to cold temperatures. On top of that, conditions common in elderly people, such as diabetes, stroke, severe arthritis, Parkinson’s, peripheral artery disease and kidney disease can restrict blood flow and lower body temperature.

blockages in the respiratory system and also increases the likelihood of catching a cold or other infections.

• Stroke: cold temperatures make blood vessels constrict, which can increase blood pressure and cause a stroke.

• Reduced strength: the cold results in muscles losing more heat, making them contract. This causes tightness throughout the body and muscles to lose their range of motion. That puts older people at greater risk of falling.

Tips

It’s easy to see why elderly people might be concerned about paying their bills. Older people can take these simple measures to cut back on their bills:

• Speak to your energy provider: Often, older people aren’t aware of discounts or offers available to them. It helps to give your energy provider a call and see if there are any options available to the elderly that can cut costs.

The risks associated with older people getting too cold include:

• Hypothermia: this occurs when body temperature drops below 35 degrees. It can lead to a complete failure in the heart and respiratory system.

• Respiratory disorders: cold air is very often dry air. When we inhale dry air, that fluid evaporates quicker than normal; often, quicker than it can be replaced. This causes the throat to become dry, and a dry throat leads to irritation and swelling which worsens the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.

Cold weather also increases mucus production, but the mucus produced in cold conditions is thicker and stickier than usual. This causes

• Warm Homes: Age UK receives funding from energy suppliers through Ofgem’s industry initiative. In turn, Age UK funds local partners across England and Wales, who deliver the Warm Homes programme in their local area.

This targets those over the 65 years old who are at least one of the following:

- on a low income (means-tested benefits or on an income below £16,190 per annum)

- has a long-term health condition

- lives in a ‘hard to heat home’.

Age UK also provides benefit entitlement checks to ensure older people aren’t missing out on what they can receive. In previous years they claimed £3000 on average for each older person that they assisted.

• Nesta’s boiler challenge: Nesta is a non-profit organisation that works to achieve social good. Recently, they launched a campaign to encourage people to reduce the flow temperature of their boilers to 60 degrees; a trick that saves energy usage without compromising on heat. An average household can save around £112 a year from their energy bill.

• Don’t make your fridge and freezer too cool: Some of us will find that our fridges and freezers are at a lower temperature than they need to be, adding to energy bills. According to the Food Standards Agency, fridges should be kept at 5 degrees and freezers at -18 degrees. Turn up the temperatures, while staying within the guidance, if they’re unnecessarily low.

• Don’t heat the whole home unnecessarily: Thermostatic radiator valves stop water through that particular radiator when the room reaches a certain temperature. It takes into account the temperature of other rooms in the house, not just where the main thermostat is, meaning that radiators don’t end up being any warmer than they need to be.

• Draught excluder: It’s a simple item, but draught excluders can work wonders to prevent any door draughts around the home. According to Money Saving Expert, it can cut 2.5% off energy bills.

• Fit a water-saving shower head: Don’t forget about items that prevent water usage, not just energy usage. A shower head that restricts the volume of water that flows through it, yet gives the sensation of a proper shower, knocks more off the utilities bills.

Once alterations have been made around the house to minimise energy bills, your older loved ones should look at what they can do day-to-day to maintain core body temperature. Here are some tips:

• Heat the person, not the home: Don’t forget about the simple items like thick socks and blankets which you can wear to prevent the risks that come with a cold home. Layering up with thermal undergarments such as vests is a great base layer, in addition to normal clothes. At night-time, a blanket underneath a duvet will add an extra layer of warmth and prevent somebody getting too cold. In the daytime and a flask filled with a hot drink by your side will help maintain warmth.

Caution is advised when using wheat bags and hot water bottles; if the rubber is old and thin, it can burst and scold the skin. Ensure that the product used isn’t old.

• Use an electric blanket or an electric throw: There was once a time when the safety of electric blankets was questionable. Thankfully, modern electric blankets are considered commonly safe when used correctly. It’s another item that older people can use to stay warm in bed. There is also a great range of affordable electric throws which can be used when sat on a chair or sofa to give an extra layer of warmth. These are cheap to run and generally cost a few pence per hour of use.

Get moving: Spending much of the day immobile, which is common for older people with difficulty being physically active, puts them at increased risk of getting too cold. Encourage your older loved one to do some gentle physical activities, whether that’s some light housekeeping or easy exercises. They can even do this sat on a chair if they are unable to stand safety. YouTube provides a good selection of exercises they can use as inspiration

Please call Andy 07864148504 or visit https://www.kent-teach.com/Recruitment/Vacancy/VacancyDetails. aspx?VacancyId=112191

In this month’s article we look at a new electric SUV and two concepts to showcase future technologies and features.

By Dhiren Ganesh

BMW i Vision Dee - New BMW i Vision Dee previews the future of the BMW 3 Series saloon along with futuristic features. The concept car showcases an artificial intelligence (AI), called Dee, as well as an advanced head-up display which will form part of the next generation BMW cars. Most notable among those will be the nextgeneration BMW 3 Series, due in around 2027 –the saloon’s shape was used as inspiration for the i Vision Dee’s design. Its head-up display is one of the earliest features that will make it to production into vehicles from 2025. With five stages to choose from, drivers can decide how much digital content they want to see on the display, ranging from vehicle information to complete virtual environments.

2023 Hyundai Kona SUV – Hyundai Kona SUV gets a more spacious interior plus petrol, hybrid and fully electric power options. This follows the looks of other recent models from Hyundai such as the Ioniq 5, with a distinctive visor-style front LED light bar and a matching pixelated partner at the back. The new Kona will be offered with petrol, hybrid and fully electric power. For the petrol and hybrid models respectively, the 118bhp 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 139bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine (with 43bhp electric motor). The fully electric Kona EV will get a 64.8kWh (usable) battery that’s good for an official range of 285 miles. Inside, the Kona gets dual-screens for both the infotainment screen and driver’s display – both 12.3in in size. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but the Kona is expected to start from around £30,000 when it goes on sale in Spring 2023.

Peugeot Inception revealed - New Peugeot Inception previews the technology, features and designs we’ll see on the French brand’s electric models from 2025. This is an electric car is powered by two electric motors – one on the front axle, one on the rear – giving it fourwheel drive. Together they produce 671bhp for a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0sec. The motors get power from a 100kWh battery, for an estimated range of 497 miles on a single charge. That’s further than any electric car currently on sale in the UK can do. The Inception comes with 800V charging, which increases the voltage to cut the time it takes to fill the battery. Styling wise, the Inception features a sharp, angular body shape. A single piece of glass across the front merges the front grille with three emblematic ‘claws’ at each end. While Peugeot doesn’t plan to put the Inception into production, it uses new underpinnings designed for electric and plugin hybrid cars that will feature on all its new models from 2025.

by Bhavesh Ganesh

The football transfer saga of the January transfer window finally ended with Chelsea pipping Arsenal to the signing of Ukraine forward Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to £89m. Mudryk agreed an eight-and-a-half-year deal for 70m euros (£62m), plus a further 30m euros (£27m) in bonuses.

Mudryk has scored seven goals in 12 league appearances for Shakhtar this season.

The interesting thing about this transfer is that Shakhtar Donetsk president Rinat Akhmetov has pledged to donate £22m to the Ukrainian war effort following the transfer. The Shakhtar president said money from Mudryk’s transfer fee would go towards providing medical and prosthetic treatment, psychological support and meeting specific requests in order to help Mariupol defenders and the families of fallen soldiers.

I hope this is genuine and the money does go towards supporting soldiers and their families, although we will probably never know for sure.

Upcoming events in February include:

1: Cricket - Third one-day international, Kimberley: South Africa v England.

1-11: Football - Club World Cup, Morocco

4: Rugby Union - Six Nations: England v Scotland

12: Rugby Union - Six Nations: England v Italy

12: American Football - Super Bowl 57, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

16-20: Cricket - First Test, Mount Maunganui: New Zealand v England

18-19: Athletics - UK Indoor Championships, Birmingham Arena

24-28: Cricket - Second Test, Auckland: New Zealand v England

25: Rugby Union - Six Nations: Italy v Ireland; Wales v England

25: Athletics - Birmingham World Indoor Tour

Final, Birmingham Arena

26: Football - League Cup final, Wembley Stadium

By Maria Kingsford

Local people from ‘Dartford painted rocks’ on Facebook have been busy this month painting and hiding them around the town. The rocks can be exchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery located at the Orchards Shopping Centre .

Here are some of the photos of their latest painted rocks.

‘APPY TO HELP – MAKING THE MOST OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE NHS

By Dr Julie Taylor

The COVID pandemic accelerated the use of technology and new ways of working in the NHS. Many will have experienced the use of telephone and video consultations by both GP surgeries and hospitals. Patients are able to submit online consultations (e-consults) to GP surgeries via the practice website or NHS App. You may receive a text message to submit photos in advance of a telephone consultation or to answer questions about your health.

The amount that practices and hospitals have engaged with these new ways of working has varied. Practices and hospitals are constrained by the space they have to see everyone face to face due to the significant increase in demand. In some areas, hospital outpatient departments are being used as wards. The investment in additional staff in general practice, such as physiotherapists, paramedics, clinical pharmacists and mental health nurses, mean that there aren’t enough consulting rooms in practices for everyone to have one. The NHS, by necessity, has had to evolve. Some patients benefit from the advantages of remote consultations – they can carry on with their day to day life, rather than sitting in a surgery waiting room, and don’t need to take time off work. But it doesn’t work for all. We offer a mix of face to face and telephone consultations and if a patient booked for a telephone consultation needs to be seen, we will book them in. Most practices work in this way.

We recognise that there is great demand on services. There are some apps and websites that can help you to help yourself. Here are my top 10.

Unwell now? How do you get advice on what to do?

• NHS 111 online – 111.nhs.uk

Use the online symptom checker to get advice on where you can go to get help or for a nurse to call you back, if indicated. You can also get advice on your mental health and dental issues through this website.

• HANDi Paediatric app (available free for iOS and android devices) paediatricians to give parents the confidence to manage minor conditions at home. By answering a series of questions, the app will advise on the best course of action, whether this is to treat at home, seek advice from your GP or go to A&E.

Want to improve your health?

• NHS weight loss app (available free for iOS and android devices)

A 12 week plan to help you start healthier eating habits.

• NHS Quit Smoking app (available free for iOS and android devices)

Helps you to quit smoking and breathe more easily.

• NHS Drink Free app (available free for iOS and android devices)

Any reduction in the amount you drink will be beneficial, and it’s easier than you think.

• My Drink Aware app (available free for iOS and android devices)

Tracks units, calories and sleep quality. Helps you set and monitor goals to moderate your drinking.

• Couch to 5k app (available free for iOS and android devices)

Build up to running 5k in as little as 9 weeks, or longer at your own pace.

• Active 10 app (available free for iOS and android devices)

Walking briskly, even for 1 minute, counts as exercise – take your first steps today…

Looking after your mental health

• Every mind matters website - https://www.nhs. uk/every-mind-matters/

Offers self-help CBT techniques, sign up for anxiety-easing emails and lots of useful advice on taking care of your mental health.

General

• NHS App (available free for iOS and android devices)

Order repeat prescriptions, complete an e-consultation, download your COVID vaccination record. More functions including booking appointments, accessing your clinical records, seeing blood test results and seeing hospital correspondence being rolled out.

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