As another winter sets in, more and more people are struggling to heat their homes and keep themselves healthy during the cold months.

This problem is even worse among the elderly, many of whom are very susceptible to the cold and often struggle to pay their energy bills.

With the winter bringing a whole host of health and financial problems with it, if you’ve got an elderly neighbour or relative, it’s important to keep an extra eye on them as the temperatures tumble.

Early winter

A lot of attention is paid to the plight of the elderly during the early winter months, with the media running story after story about energy prices and the need to look after the elderly.

Doctors and health professionals also go out of their way at this time of year to provide flu shots and general information in order to ensure that older people make it through the winter months unscathed.

Christmas

Christmas is a very important time of all of us, and for older people with families it’s a great opportunity to get out of the house and spend some time with loved ones.

For those without families however, Christmas time can be especially difficult, with loneliness a real issue for many older people.

To combat this, try to visit any elderly neighbours or relatives over the festive period and look out for Christmas day lunches and activities that they could get involved with to help them socialise and banish the winter blues.

Late winter

Late winter can be an especially important time for the elderly as their immune systems are more likely to be weakened by the preceding cold months. As friends and relatives concentrate on the New Year, they are also more likely to be overlooked and to become lonely during this time.

If you’ve got an elderly neighbour or relative, try to make sure that you continue to visit them throughout the winter months, especially once the warmth and joviality of Christmas is over.

Winter hazards

Apart from loneliness and cold, older people face a plethora of challenges to overcome every winter. Outside, roads, pavements and pathways are often frozen over, making walking very difficult and trips and falls more of a risk.

Inside the home, the extra clothes that older people wear to keep them warm can be a hazard in themselves. Slippers often prove to be treacherous, often causing trips and falls in the home.

To try and minimise the risks, older people could consider installing a reconditioned stairlift. This is an affordable solution that can aid mobility and help to prevent trips and falls caused by climbing or descending a staircase.

Winter is a very important time of year for the elderly and can make a huge difference to their health and state of mind. So if you’ve got an elderly relative or neighbour or you’re in your golden years yourself, remember to take extra care this winter to keep yourself happy, healthy and warm.