Dr Richard Williams knows only too well the challenges facing elderly people during the winter – dying from the cold is sadly something he witnesses every year.
It may come as a surprise to many people that in the 21st century such deaths still oc
cur; elderly people perishing in their own homes because they feel they simply cannot afford to turn on their heating.
But as the Edinburgh doctor stresses, it is a reality. That is why he, along with hundreds of other medics across the Capital this winter, is urging people to help, by backing Age Concern's winter campaign to assist the most vulnerable sector of society to reduce the risk of anyone dying of a cold-related condition.
"A couple of years ago I remember a particularly sad case of exactly this happening," says Dr Williams, who is chairman of the Lothians Local Medical Committee. "A home help found an elderly woman dead in her home, sitting in a chair, frozen.
"There were no other obvious causes of death. It was incredibly sad because, although the woman was frail, she had a relatively good quality of life. This was just a matter of her not being able to heat her house – her death could therefore have been prevented."
In order to try and avoid a recurrence of such tragedies, yesterday we revealed the Evening News is backing Age Concern's winter warmth campaign.
By asking people to participate in Wear a Hat Day on December 5 and pay £1, money will be raised to buy cold alarms for those in the Lothians who are most at risk.
"People should try to support this if they can," the Restalrig-based doctor explains. "I urge them to look out for elderly neighbours too, even if it's just a knock on their door at night to check they are all right. We rely so much on people helping each other during the winter."
According to the General Register Office for Scotland, there were 2180 winter deaths last year, the majority of victims aged 75 to 84 years old.
But although the figure fell by just under 600 deaths on the previous year due to a largely mild winter, the numbers are still causing worry to Age Concern and doctors across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Dr Williams says: "The good news is there are fewer deaths than there used to be.
"But they are still happening and even one is too many. Winter is a difficult time for elderly patients, particularly those on low incomes – they can easily get hypothermia without realising it.
"It can happen much more quickly than most think it would. It's certainly surprising."
The doctor believes most people who die of winter illnesses tend to be frail, not very mobile and are very anxious about switching on their heating for fear they will not be able to pay the bills.
"We give patients advice and if they are struggling financially, urge them to seek help," he says.
"Sometimes it may be a case of only heating one room and moving a bed into it to make sure the person is as warm as possible."
'I have definitely cut down on food so I can have gas on' SITTING wrapped in her dressing gown and slippers in a bid to keep warm, 76-year-old Claire Elder settles down to watch an afternoon film on the television.
Outside, the wind is picking up. People wrapped in thick coats, scarves and hats hurry past her front door, making quickly for their destination to get away from the bitter weather.
Temperatures have rapidly dropped over the past week – it is obvious winter is here.
Inside her council-owned Brunstane flat, where Claire has lived alone for seven years, she explains how she spends many days like this – wrapping herself up in her pyjamas and dressing gown to keep herself warm.
As an arthritic, it is imperative for her comfort that she looks after herself. Being cold can cause severe pain.
"I always feel the cold," the grandmother smiles. "That's why if I am in the house like this, I put my dressing gown on and wrap up warm."
Claire, who is also partially blind, is the first to admit that her house is comfortably warm but that she has to make sacrifices in other areas to keep it that way.
With her gas bills coming in at about £30 a week – having risen over the last year – she has been forced to cut down on other essential areas of her life, such as food shopping, in a bid to ensure she has enough money to make her direct debit fuel payments.
And it is not uncommon for her to sit in near darkness, saving on her electricity bill.
"I tend to put the heating on when I get up first thing in the morning," she explains. "But I turn it off in the afternoon and it's not on at night. I try to save on my electricity bill so I can have the gas on.
"I worry about my fuel bills and I've definitely cut down on food so I can have my gas. I sometimes go to a day centre and the chat is always about the cost of bills. There are probably a lot of people who don't really appreciate what it's like for elderly people. Everything seems to have gone up in price."
Before she retired, Claire was heavily involved in the Craigmillar Festival and also worked as a warden in homeless accommodation.
Without her family, she admits it would be a struggle. Her daughter takes her food shopping once a week. Staff from the Age Concern-backed Caring in Craigmillar day centre, which she attends twice a week, ring her every night before she goes to bed.
"If my daughter didn't help me I would have to pay somebody to and with the bills I couldn't afford that."
Get your hat at the readyTHE Evening News has teamed up with Age Concern Scotland to back its winter warmth campaign. We are asking companies, groups and individuals to support Wear a Hat Day on December 5 to raise money to buy potentially life-saving cold alarms for Lothians pensioners.
The alarms – which cost around £20 – alert an elderly person to the fact that the temperature in their home has fallen to a potentially dangerous level.
If you would like to help full details can be obtained from the registration form opposite.
