Keeping safe and warm with a terminal illness

Staying warm and cosy is more important than ever during the colder months. As we spend more time indoors, worries about rising energy costs and heating your home safely can add extra stress. Staying warm isn’t just about comfort. It’s also vital for your health and wellbeing.

It’s important to keep your home safe and warm if you are living with a life-limiting condition.

The recommended temperatures for your home are:

• Main living area: 21°C
• Minimum home temperature: 18°C

This is particularly important if you:

• Have health problems that mean you are more likely to have issues with your heart or breathing problems if you aren’t warm enough.
• Rely on medical equipment that needs a constant electricity supply.
• Are more vulnerable to infections which are more easily spread in the cold. A reliable source of water is also needed to stay clean and reduce infection risk.
• Would find it harder to recover from falls and injuries, which are more likely when your brain and your body is working hard to stay warm.
• May be dealing with stress, anxiety and mental health challenges relating to your illness which are made worse by cold, unsafe and unpleasant living conditions.

Common problems are:

• You cannot afford to pay your bills or are using less water, electricity, or heating so that you can.
• You are having problems communicating with providers, or you cannot understand your bills.
• Your supply or the appliances in your home are not working properly.
• Your provider is repairing the equipment that supplies your home, cutting off your supply for a short time.