Protecting Your Family As Winter Draws In

It’s the time of year when the leaves on the trees turn golden, thick woolly jumpers are being dug out of wardrobes and the tins of Christmas chocolates are appearing in supermarkets. But although hygge, comfort food and wood burning stoves bring thoughts of safety, warmth and homeliness, autumn can bring with it a new set of risks that we can easily be more vigilant in protecting ourselves against. Have a look at our guide below.

Dark nights and icy mornings

Long, dark nights (and dark days, if we’re honest) can seem quite intimidating – especially to the elderly. Couple that with frosty mornings and there are many more opportunities for slips and trips, which could lead to broken bones and, if that person lives alone, they could be in need of help for quite some time, unable to reach a phone, before it arrives. To protect against this nightmare scenario, consider supplying them with a care alarm from Helpline. Helpline personal care alarms can give you peace of mind: they can be in the form of a discreet, waterproof wrist strap or pendant button that, when pressed, raises an alarm which immediately lets Helpline’s Response Centre know who is in trouble and where, at any time of day or night. They will assess the situation and contact either the emergency services, a doctor or a loved one. This means that help is always on hand in the event of an injury without your relative having to reach a phone or remember a contact number.

Aside from making walking more hazardous, icy conditions also makes driving more difficult. If the roads are icy or snowy, you should only make the journey if it’s absolutely necessary, otherwise, stay at home. If you do need to drive, remember that braking distances can be ten times longer on ice and take a charged mobile, a bottle of water and a warm blanket with you. The RAC provide some guidelines for driving in wintery conditions here.

Germs increase as temperatures drop

As the days grow shorter, the number of germs seems to rise. There are lots of reasons for this – we tend to be indoors more during the colder weather and so spend longer in close proximity with people carrying germs, thus increasing the likelihood of catching them. Shorter daylight hours also means we’re exposed to less sunshine and our vitamin D supplies could run low – vitamin D is vital in maintaining a healthy immune system so without it, our bodies have less defence against infections. Finally, and conversely to what we’re often told, cold weather makes the air drier – as cold air can carry less water vapour, which instead falls as rain – and flu viruses thrive in dry air.

It may be all well and good knowing the whys, but how do you actually stop getting sick? Well, it’s nigh on impossible to be completely protected from colds but maintaining a healthy diet to get as many vitamins into your body as possible is a good place to start. As to vitamin D – get outside in the short daylight hours where you can and add fortified breakfast cereals, oily fish, and egg yolk to your diet – these contain small amounts of the vitamin. For vegans or anyone else not getting enough vitamin D, supplements may be an option.

Aside from flu, viruses and colds, wintery weather can have an adverse effect on other health conditions that are worth protecting your loved ones against. For example, cold temperatures can trigger the symptoms of asthma, so sufferers should stay indoors during extreme cold and wear scarves over their noses and mouths when they do go out. The evidence suggests that heart attacks are also more common in winter. This could be because your heart has to work harder to keep the body warm in the winter and because cold weather increases blood pressure. Ensure that homes are kept warm and that you and loved ones who could be vulnerable to heart attacks wrap up in layers during the cold weather. Finally, despite thoughts to the contrary, there is no evidence to suggest that the cold affects aching joints. The suggestion is that the winter months increases depression which affects people’s perception of pain. To avoid depression, get out of the house when you can – exercise such as swimming can help painful joints and boost mood. If you feel you might need more help with depression during the winter, the National Counselling Society has a list of accredited counsellors who might be able to provide the care you require.

Trick or treaters and Bonfire Night

Autumn is the time for some really fun celebrations with Halloween and Bonfire Night on the horizon. However, both can present their own dangers. If your kids are going trick or treating then ensure they are accompanied by an adult. Alternatively, a lot of people, especially the elderly, can feel intimidated by the presence of masked trick or treaters at their door – it could seem like the perfect cover for troublemakers. Set up the house to protect elderly relatives (and for your own home) by installing a security light, which will help them see better in the dark outside the house and have the added benefit of deterring thieves. There are lots of options, from solar lights to motion sensor lights that will only come on when they detect movement, and they don’t have to look industrial – there are some very attractive varieties. If your elderly relative does spot anything suspicious outside their home, having a care alarm from Helpline, as mentioned above, could help provide them with the calming thought that help is close at hand.

Bonfire night is often a great community event with lots of tasty food, like parkin and hotdogs, and spectacular fireworks. But it’s so important that children are taught safety precautions about being around fire and setting off fireworks. Fireworks should only ever be lit by a responsible adult (who should source fireworks that comply with British Standards from a licensed retailer and be aware of the Firework Code), not approached if they don’t immediately go off when lit, and spectators should stand well back.