Keeping Kingsway Care Clients Warm
Kingsway Care has a trio of dedicated Client Managers, Denise, Kerry, and Zoe, who regularly visit Clients to check if they are happy with our home care service and if there is anything we can do to improve their wellbeing.
This month they’re ensuring all our Clients are ready for winter. Read our Winter checklist to see if you are ready too!
Winter Checklist
- Winter fuel payment & warm home discount
- Boiler service
- Access to Blankets
- Access to Hot water bottles
- Monthly smoke alarm checks
- Dressing in layers for warmth
- Fingerless Gloves or Wrist warmers for cold hands
- Blackout preparations
- Cooking hot food / soups / casseroles
- Hot drinks flask
Winter Fuel payments
Denise explained, “it’s important to show Clients that they are receiving winter fuel payments to help pay their bills. As the payments are automatic, some Clients need reminding that they should be able to put the heating on more than they thought or boil the kettle again.”
If you’re over State Pension Age – which is currently 66 years old – and receive a state pension then you should receive the payments automatically between November and December.
Warm Home Discount
If you receive Pension Credit, you will also be receiving an extra £150, usually as a credit on your electricity bill.
Warm Blankets
Kerry adds, “we check our Clients have access to warm blankets. If they don’t, we discuss buying a blanket with the Client or their family. As we age and move less it’s difficult to keep warm so extra blankets really help.“
Dressing in layers
Zoe says, “this may seem obvious but our CareGivers support many Clients to get dressed for the day, so we can make sure they choose layered clothing to keep them warm.”
Cold hands & feet
The extremities such as our hands and feet are the first to get cold as our blood supply diverts to keep vital organs warm. We check our Clients have cozy, well-fitting slippers and recommend fingerless mittens or wrist warmers for cold hands. AgeUK has more advice on keeping hands and feet warm here.
Blackout Preparations
Denise adds, ‘We’re prepared for blackouts by ensuring all of our Clients have torches. We also have emergency care plans to support our top priority Clients during a blackout, for example, if they have equipment dependent on power.“
Hot Food & Drinks
We encourage our CareGivers to prepare warm, comforting food like soups and casseroles that can easily be heated up during home care visits. Leaving Clients with a flask of hot drink to enjoy later is a nice touch too.
Contact Us
If you are worried about an ageing loved one this winter, contact our friendly team for a chat about how Kingsway Care’s first class home care can support them in Brighton & Hove. Telephone 01273 077444 or email info@kingswaycare.com
