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Living in a cold and damp home is bad for our physical and mental health. It can raise blood pressure and lead to serious conditions such as strokes, heart attacks and pneumonia.
For people living with dementia, it can be difficult to navigate ways to make improvements and these sorts of environments can exacerbate existing health problems, while causing social isolation, sleep deprivation, depression and anxiety.
It is recommended that you heat the rooms that you are spending most of your time in to between 18 and 21°C. But with rising energy costs to factor in, many people, especially those on a low income, may feel that it is impossible to make their living space feel more comfortable.
In this blog we have worked in partnership with the British gas distribution company SGN to give you the best, most up-to-date advice and support when it comes to energy and to look at what people living with dementia and their carers can do to manage energy bills and keep warm for less.
Ways to Help Keep Warm this Winter
Prioritise one room to heat and turn down radiators in rooms you don’t use
Get rid of draughts. Close doors, hang curtains over external doors, use draught excluders under doors. Don’t have furniture against external walls
Wrap up warm, use warm socks, slippers etc. Wear layers of clothes rather than very bulky clothing
Move around – moving on the spot or moving around will help you stay warm
Use a heated throw, blanket or sleeping bag
Make hot drinks and eat a hot meal
Prevent/treat damp and mould in the home
Find warm spaces – such as Sage House and make the most of natural daylight
For people living with dementia, there are devices which you can buy that improve safety, while reducing energy wastage. These might include the following:
Locking Cooker Valves
This safety device prevents gas cookers from being unintentionally turned on or left on. These are provided free of charge and an SGN engineer will carry out a home visit to fit the lockable safety device to the existing gas cooker pipework. A carer or relative will need to be present at the visit to agree the valve’s position.
You can contact SGN to apply for a free locking cooker valve by emailing locking.valve@sgn.co.uk, telephoning 0800 975 1818 or simply by speaking to a Sage House Wayfinder.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms
CO alarms will alert you if there is deadly carbon monoxide present in your home. You can get a free one from Sage House by speaking to a Wayfinder. You can also buy carbon monoxide alarms in DIY stores, supermarkets and online.
Remember that a smoke alarm is not a carbon monoxide alarm and should be fitted in every room where there is a potential source of carbon monoxide. They can be placed high up in the room around 15-30cms from the ceiling or a light fitting and 1-3m from the cooking/heating appliance.
Always make sure the detector that has an alarm that would wake you up if you were asleep and only use ones which feature the British Standard EN 50291 code and a British Standards Kite Mark. Both the battery and the CO sensor in a detector will wear out and no CO detector should be more than 10 years old.
If you’re concerned there is CO present in your home, or notice symptoms of CO poisoning, contact the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately.
Making Energy Saving a Priority
If you are affected by dementia and struggling to manage your energy bills, our Wayfinders can help you find ways to keep your home warm, help with fuel costs or signpost to advice on energy debt.
We can also help you sign up for the Priority Service Register which is offered by energy and water companies such as SGN. By signing up, you get extra help for when there is a power cut, gas supply interruption or if your water supply suddenly stops.
You might also receive:
Advanced notice of planned interruptions to your gas, electricity or water supply
Advice on how to be prepared for a power cut, gas or water outage and what to do if one happens
A cold weather crisis pack (where available)
A direct number to call to get straight through to the network operator in the event of an unplanned power cut
Information such as bills in other formats like large print or Braille
The ability to nominate someone else to deal with your energy bills on your behalf.
You can find out more information and advice at our Safe and Warm Workshop on Wednesday 13th November at Sage House. Learn about how you can stay safe and warm at home this winter from the Station Manager at Chichester Fire Station and Sage House Wayfinders. To book, please click here.
Wayfinders provide one-to-one support and advice for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Your Wayfinder will stay with you at every stage from pre-diagnosis and will be your named contact throughout your journey.
Contact the team on 01243 888691 or by emailing info@dementiasupport.org.uk.