Cold weather advice from council

Stay Warm, Stay Well, Stay Safe in the cold weather

Throughout the winter, Cheshire East Council and its partner agencies in the Adult Safeguarding Board have been providing information and key contact numbers as part of its Stay Warm, Stay Well, Stay Safe campaign.

This is intended to assist, reassure and empower its most vulnerable people by providing information at the link below the photo and through the local media.

#Deaths
Cheshire East usually sees a 20 per cent rise in the number of deaths during winter compared to the rest of the year.

This means there are predicted to be around 220 additional deaths between December and March and with the cold weather very much now taking hold, the Council is playing its part in helping people to stay warm and alive.

Temperatures plummeted to less than minus six degrees in Nantwich last Wednesday and snow has affected the region over the weekend.

In preparedness for these extremities, the Cheshire East Adult Safeguarding Board's Stay Warm, Stay Well, Stay Safe campaign aims to give vulnerable people the information they need to cope with a harsh winter.

And the authority and its partners are working in line with the Government's cold weather plan for England 2011/2012 – the first coordinated plan supported by the Met Office cold weather alert service.

#Information
Cheshire East has put together a wealth of information in one place  on their website – see link - where residents can find advice on a wide range of topics from heating, eating and winter safety to school closures and public transport.

Information sheets have also been passed around, with important contact details for residents to use should they have any concerns about their safety, or for the safety of others in the neighbourhood.

One piece of advice which the Council would like to offer is that residents should heat their living room to 21C/70F in the daytime and to set the bedroom night temperature to at least 18C/65F.

#Cardiovascular disease
Derek Thomas, the independent chair of the Adult Safeguarding Board, added: "About a third of the additional deaths experienced in Cheshire East are due to cardiovascular disease, which can be directly linked to the cold weather.

"When temperatures drop it causes the blood to thicken and increases the risk of death from heart attack or stroke in people with the disease.

"Cold weather also lowers people's resistance to the flu, which is dangerous for people of all ages who have chronic medical conditions, as they are 11 times more likely than healthy people to die if they catch the infection.

"It is times like this that everyone needs to look after each other and it is an opportunity to be a good neighbour."

Those who are worried about an adult or are looking for social care support should contact 0300 123 5010 between the hours of 8.30am and 5pm. Outside of these hours, they should call 0300 123 5022.

Follow us on twitter @CheshireEast for winter updates.

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