Have this week's events brought good news or bad for older
people?
By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer
This was a bad week for weather as the "Beast
from the East" descended upon us from Siberia, bringing with it a
swathe of freezing temperatures. We've been poised for a double-dip
recession for some time, but this week, temperatures looked to be
on course with the economy and were headed in one direction: down
(again).
UK residents (and our European neighbours) were subjected to
biting temperatures, which plummeted well below zero, even during
the day. The Department of Health took the step of issuing a cold
weather warning across the country.
Older people are particularly vulnerable in the cold weather -
they need to keep their room temperatures higher than younger
people just to stay healthy (an issue for many older people given
prohibitive fuel prices). Excess winter death statistics are
shocking (22,000 for the winter of 2010/11) and the risk of
widespread ice and snow puts older people in danger of falls, or
isolating themselves in their own homes through fear of going
out.
For some suggestions to help with the cold snap, don't forget
about our Winter Wise Guide; a pack full of hints tips and advice
to help people through the winter months. You can download a copy
here: /news/cold-weather-call.aspx
This was a good week however for elder insight.
The week seemed to be awash with centenarians who were not backward
at coming forward with their pearls of wisdom. 100-year-old Wilbur
Faiss and his wife, Theresa, were awarded this year's Worldwide
Marriage Encounter for the longest married couple. Espoused for 78
years, Wilbur imparted the secret of the couple's marital success:
love.
The couple met, according to the Daily Mail, at a roller rink
outside St Louis."I was a hot shot on skates," says Wilbur, "and
she was by far the most beautiful girl in the audience."
Another centenarian, Kathleen Connell from East Renfrewshire,
who celebrated her 100th birthday this week, shared her
secret for a long life: spending two hours a day playing on her
Nintendo DS Lite. Kathleen, who has had both legs amputated and
lives alone, said in feature in the Daily Mail that she is so
addicted to the device that she wore out her first console (a
96th birthday present from her daughter) and had to
replace it. According to the popular Brain Trainer game, Kathleen
is clocking up the mental age of a mere 64-year
old.
