Clocks Going Back?

[DaisyNonna]

So it would seem. In more ways than one.

Very thoughtful of Public Health England to suggest that the elderly heat only the living room in daytime this winter. Have they any idea? This is what we did last winter before this year's horrendous price hikes.

Anybody got a spare tin bath I can put in the living room? Kitchen too small and unheated anyway.

I suppose if loads of us get carried off with hypothermia it will cut down NHS expenses. But if we just get carried off to hospital.....? Cut down on our expenses!

[Tilly2]

I'd be as near as stewey is, gness. Just a keyboard away.

[friedgreentomato]

Oh for god's sake it is not just the elderly that can't afford to heat their houses!!!

I am sick to my back teeth of OAP's bloody complaining!!

[Tilly2]

I'm not an OAP and I am complaining.

[jno]

throw another OAP on the fire, fgt. They burn well if they're nice and fatty.

[friedgreentomato]

My point is as I said in my first sentence is that it is not only OAP's that cannot afford to heat their house I know people working fulltime that struggle to heat their house and only heat one room.

[gness]

I think many of us are complaining but the point is that it is more difficult for the very elderly to keep warm without heating.....and they are the least likely to know how or be willing to seek help.
There are of course other vulnerable groups but if we are fit and able to keep warm we are in a better position.

[jno]

just kidding, fgt. But I will say I feel the cold a lot more as I've grown old, which I suspect means I'm at greater risk of hypothermia than I used to be.

[gness]

True FGT...and wrong but not life threatening.

Trig....been a long time since I marched but would love to do it again....I have a new saw for placard making and and axe for....well just for....☺

[viv38]

But the elderly feel the cold more and are more frail.

[gness]

Exactly Viv...and reading FGT's post again it makes even less sense.

Being elderly means we have no right to complain??

[friedgreentomato]

Am I not entitled to to post any more because it goes against the norm!!

It is not only the elderly that are vunerable to cold - what annoys me is they think they have a god given right to everything!

[viv38]

It seems that way gness.

[viv38]

Do they? All of them? My parents don't!

[gness]

Now you are being silly, FGT. Do we ration our complaints about unfairness when we reach pensionable age to suit the likes of you?

What god give right? What am I asking to be given? Like I said I have a good income that I worked and saved for....some may not be so lucky and I am happy to complain on their behalf.

I did recognise other vulnerable groups previously.

I take it if we were to muster a grey brigade to make changes for the future you would refuse any benefits that were achieved because of your present attitude?

[viv38]

Well put gness, but I think fgt thrives on her acerbic comments, acerbic and now silly. Generalising about all pensioners like that is just NOT ON!

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe it's more 'a lifetime of slogging away for society' given right ?
But yes, all contributing citizens should have sufficient heating whether they are doing so now, in the past, or going to in the future. The question just being what sufficient is, and how one ensures citizens have it.

[Fitzer]

From the last available figures for winter 2009/10 there were 25,810 excess winter deaths, of these 2100 were in those aged 0-64 therefore less than 10% of the total were NOT OAPS. From the same report comes this statement on causes 'It has been shown that low indoor temperature is associated with higher EWM from cardiovascular disease in England (Wilkinson et al., 2001)' Also 'The cold can have various physiological effects, which may lead to death in vulnerable people. Woodhouse et al (1993) found that colder home temperature was associated with increased blood pressure in older people. The Eurowinter group (1997) noted that cold causes haemoconcentration, which leads to thrombosis, and that cold can also lower the immune system’s resistance to respiratory infections.'
The full report can be found at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health2/excess-winter-mortality-in-england-and-wales/2010-11--provisional--and-2009-10--final-/stb-ewm-2010-11.html

[anneasquith]

I hope fgt can continue to work in a warm environment, not get old. or god forbid ill and feel the cold, every year we hear of people who die of hypothermia, I may be wrong but I don't think they work or are young,