Information and advice
Prepare for severe wintry conditions
Follow some of these top tips for older people and their families to make sure you're prepared for the cold weather.
- Keep an eye on weather forecasts, particularly severe weather warnings from the Met Office.
- Stock up on basics in case you can’t get out of your home for a couple of days.
- Nominate a flu friend or neighbour who can collect essentials such as prescriptions on your behalf.
- Keep a list of emergency contacts by your phone and add local organisations and charities who support older people.
Stay Safe
- Don’t take any risks in snow or icy conditions.
- Keep torches, a battery-powered radio and spare batteries where they’re easy to find in the dark in case of power cuts.
- Make sure you’ve got at least one phone in the house that doesn’t rely on electricity to work and keep mobile phones charged up.
Stay Well
- Have your flu jab – book your appointment now if you haven’t already done.
- Try to eat a balanced diet and eat small portions at regular intervals throughout the day.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- If you can, get up and move around to keep active. If your mobility is more limited, do some chair exercises to help you stay warm and active.
Stay Warm
- Join the Priority Service Register of your energy supplier to avoid being disconnected during the colder months.
- Have your heating system checked every year and consider installing thermostatic valves on radiators in the rooms you use the most.
- Ask about any benefits, grants and discounts you might be entitled to such as pension credits, winter fuel payments and insulation.
- Have a hot drink regularly and if you find moving about difficult, have a flask handy.
- Wear warm clothes in layers and put on a woolly hat.
Stay in touch
- Make sure you know how to contact your neighbours by phone – it’s easy to lose touch in the winter months when people aren’t out and about as much.
- Continue to go to your social activities with friends or at the local community centre. If you can’t get out for any reason, call them to let them know and ask to keep in touch by phone.
WRVS are helping the Government launch the Get Ready for Winter campaign which will be encouraging individuals, families and communities to think about winter risks and to consider some very simple and straight forward tips for travelling, health and well-being, and preparing your home.
Go to
Directgov, for more Get Ready for Winter messages and links to other sources of information.