WINTER Friends Stay Well This Winter 2018 Thank you for becoming a Winter Friend! As a Winter Friend you will become familiar with the 9 important programmes which support at risk people to Stay Well This Winter You are now part of a growing network supporting vulnerable people across Leeds.

Indoor Temperature and Health Cold homes and ill health is serious. In Leeds each year 350 people die known as Excess Winter Deaths which are preventable. Look at the thermometer below and see how serious it is to keep a home heated to minimum 18 °C. Answer 3.2 (°C) it’s not that cold outside and freezing temperatures occur less often Did you know winter starts 1st November and ends 31st March? (Public Health England) But what is the average temperature? The key here is understanding indoor temperatures and ill health can occur at 16 °C Indoor Temperature and Health 16c: Diminished resistance to respiratory infections 12c: Higher risk of heart attacks and circulatory disorders 9c: Deep body temperature falls after 2 hours; risk of hypothermia occurs. The DoH currently recommends 18oC as a broad minimum room temperature

Adverse Weather Winter Friends Stay Well this Winter Home Plus (Leeds) Leeds Community Foundation run an open grants programme where local organisations can apply in the aim to receive small funds to deliver local projects. For more information check out their website. Don’t worry if don’t understand all the winter programmes in depth. You will have access to a Winter Wellbeing Checklist which holds information and contact details. To reduce the risk of ill health due to a cold home the Home Plus (Leeds) service can provide a free home visit. The service can help people reduce energy costs, apply for grants/discounts and repairs and support with servicing of heating systems. Your knowledge of the winter campaigns and services will help to ensure vulnerable communities get the support they need to keep well in winter. Finally the Winter Friends programme is the glue to helping people to Stay Well this Winter across Leeds. As a Winter Friend your work across Leeds supports many other winter programmes. The Home Plus (Leeds) service across Leeds works to make homes safe, sustainable and warm Help Us to Help You is this years NHS England campaign helping people to stay well this winter Let’s now look at 4 winter programmes supporting people in Leeds. Over winter it is important to deliver local projects to vulnerable communities. Adverse Weather Stay Well this Winter Home Plus (Leeds) Leeds Community Foundation Winter Friends

Conversation using a winter wellbeing checklist The Winter Wellbeing Checklist will help you identify which programmes are important to an individual. Having an initial conversation enables you to highlight these and leave them with contact details to access the services. On the checklist there are 9 programmes which are evidenced to reduce cold weather illness and we will look at them in more detail next. Conversation using a winter wellbeing checklist The Winter Wellbeing checklist is a signposting opportunity to support the evidence based interventions that benefit people during the cold weather. It is designed to be left with the individual so they have the relevant contact details to self-help

The interventions that matter: We advise an individual to find their local support by contacting the Leeds Directory or accessing online mental health support through MindWell. Eating and drinking well over winter is important. 1 in 10 people in the community are malnourished. Professionals and communities can call the malnutrition helpline to ask questions and seek support. Did you know, excluding mortgages, the average household debt is £6912? (MoneyCharity). Fuel poverty is caused by a combination of fuel costs, poor energy efficiency and low household income. For individuals struggling to afford or pay fuel bills we advise signposting to the Home Plus (Leeds) service for saving money on energy bills, applying for grants and dealing with energy debt. Did you know in Leeds it is estimated 37,000 older people are experiencing isolation? Isolation does not just affect older people but people across all ages. Isolation is linked to: risk of an earlier death (mortality), depression & dementia. A warm home heated to minimum of 18°C is important. Did you know that excess winter deaths in the coldest quarter of housing are almost 3 x as high as in the warmest quarter? Did you know that across Leeds it is estimated that 37,000 people fall each year? Reasons for falls are many ranging from hazards in home environment, not being able to look after yourself and snow and ice We advise individuals to contact Home Plus (Leeds) for minor adaptations and repairs or alternatively the Falls service via GP or District Nurse to help prevent future falls or support recovery. We advise individuals to be ready for cold snaps by watching/listening for the Met office cold weather alerts heating the home to at least 18⁰C (65⁰F) and wearing suitable clothing. It is advised that individuals contact their GP Practice or local Pharmacy for Free vaccination if aged 65 plus, have a long term health condition, are a Carer or Pregnant. People with children aged 2, 3, or 4 should contact their GP. It is important that individuals are encouraged to have their own plan ready. A report compared people living in different countries across the world, those from warmer countries were less likely to wear warm protective clothing in cold weather. Assistive technology is seen as an important programme of support – this could include a personal call alarm, falls alarms or minor adaptations. We advise calling Leeds City Council contact centre for an assessment. All vulnerable and older people on regular medication should be assessed annually. It is important to make sure medicine is appropriate and at the correct dose. The flu vaccination is vitally important. Flu can cause severe illness and even death among vulnerable groups including older people, pregnant women and people with an underlying health condition. This goes to show energy efficiency especially in older homes is really important. We advise signposting to the Home Plus (Leeds) Service for a free home visit. NHS England also advise making sure residents order their medication before the Christmas holiday period. The interventions that matter: 1. Have you had your flu vaccination? 2. Have you had a review of your medicines in the last 6 months? 3. Is your whole house warm in winter? 4. Difficult to afford or to pay your fuel bills? 5. Have you had any falls in the last year? 6. Difficult to have regular daily hot meals and hot drinks lately? 7. Do you need personal assistance or assistive technology? 8. Do you feel connected to your local community? 9. Do you know what to do if there is a cold snap on the way?

Home Plus (Leeds) Service Care & Repair Leeds, in partnership with Groundwork NEWY and Age UK Leeds deliver this service that will support people with; risk of falling energy efficiency and affordability warmth and condensation / damp repairs This is delivered through: assessing client needs facilitating minor works or minor warmth measures providing advice and assistance, including equipment homeplus@care-repair-leeds.org.uk

Winter resources At the Winter Friends disposal are 4 key resources: Winter Friends resources are free from the Public Health Resource Centre (PHRC). Please contact the PHRC phrc@leeds.gov.uk to order your resource pack. Now that you are aware of the 9 interventions that support people to keep well over winter it’s time to start promoting. Winter resources At the Winter Friends disposal are 4 key resources: Winter Friends Badge Prompt Card Winter Wellbeing Checklist Thermometer Card Additional leaflets available are: Who should have it and why? (Flu) Myth or truth including porcine (Flu) Help Us Help You campaign materials Home Plus (Leeds) service flyer Help managing your money Food fact meal provision sheet Malnutrition Prevention helpline Alternatively you can download winter friends resources from the ‘document’ drop down box on the campaign page.

Thank you and well done for becoming a Winter Friend – you are now part of a growing network in Leeds supporting vulnerable people during Winter. You are now welcome to collect your free support resource pack from the Public Health Resource Centre https://www.leeds.gov.uk/phrc If you have any feedback or comments about this briefing, please don’t hesitate to contact us through agefriendly@leeds.gov.uk