Age UK comments on the cold weather

Commenting on the current cold spell, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said:

'The cold weather can be particularly dangerous for older people who are more at risk of suffering health problems when the temperature drops.

'During this current cold snap we are urging all older people to keep warm and take basic precautions to protect their health - for example sleeping with the windows closed at night to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by raised blood pressure brought on by the cold.

'It's a shocking fact that this winter, one older person could die every seven minutes from the cold. Yet with just under one million older people living in fuel poverty, many simply cannot afford to heat their homes to a temperature high enough to keep warm and well.

'We are calling for the government to commit to improving the energy efficiency of homes across the country in order to provide a long-lasting solution to the scandal of fuel poverty and preventable winter deaths.'

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Ref: LFJV

Notes

Media contact: Helen Spinney
Telephone: 020 3033 1430
Email: helen.spinney@ageuk.org.uk
Out-of-hours: 07071 243 243

Through its Spread the Warmth campaign, Age UK will be doing everything it can to help older people keep warm this winter. Age UK offers information and advice 365 days a year and older people and their families can call Age UK Advice free on 0800 169 65 65.

The Charity is calling on people to help reduce the number of unnecessary deaths this winter by joining its campaign for warm homes or by making a donation. To donate as little as £5, or to find out more about how you can make a difference to our work, visit www.spreadthewarmth.org.uk or call 0800 169 87 87.

Age UK also publishes a free Winter wrapped up (PDF 778 KB) guide which includes some useful advice about how to stay safe and well in winter, and is available free of charge from our website www.ageuk.org.uk or by calling Age UK Advice, our national advice line, on freephone 0800 169 65 65.

Follow Age UK's news and PR team on Twitter - @AgeUKNews