If things get tougher?

DdraigGoch

Quote: "was looking on the darker side... wondering if I should read some AJ Cronin just to get meself in the mood for starvation & destitution. "

Nah, just put a lock on the fridge and lose your wallet whilst having frozen all your cash in the bottom of the freezer - which is in the locked pantry .... will that do for a start?!

mardatha

Lol DG, is that what's called method acting ?:)

Valli

Thankls for your responses - I felt awful posting that - but people need to be aware that heaters can - and do -cause deaths which could have been prevented and the way this thread was going rang alarm bells. Carbon monoxide kills in a silent, insidious way.

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

I was looking on the darker side... wondering if I should read some AJ Cronin just to get meself in the mood for starvation & destitution.

:rotfl: :rotfl:
or "When all hell breaks loose" by Cody Lundin perchance?;) Havent summoned the nerve to tackle that yet - its been sitting on my shelves for weeks so far....whilst I think "Theres probably one or two good ideas in there for everyday living as per normal":cool:

ceridwen

Valli wrote: »

Thankls for your responses - I felt awful posting that - but people need to be aware that heaters can - and do -cause deaths which could have been prevented and the way this thread was going rang alarm bells. Carbon monoxide kills in a silent, insidious way.

You were quite right to post this:T . You'd have felt even worse if you hadnt posted it and someone had died from this....at least if they do (when they do) - you will know you did what you could to prevent it. Even more to the point is its not necessarily the "culprit" that would die - they could kill an "innocent" next door neighbour with carbon monoxide poisoning judging by the episode mentioned earlier on this thread. To die because of your own neglect is bad enough - but to die because of someone else's neglect!!!!!:mad: :mad: :mad: (ie the neighbour with the faulty heater).

Olliebeak

Valli wrote: »

Please people - if you use any type of flame burning heater it will need a good supply of oxygen so that it's waste product is CO2 and not CO - carbon monoxide. Bear in mind please that a faulty heater will give out carbon monoxide - and could kill anyone in the building including adjacent properties.
We lost the occupants of 2 houses near here a few years ago - the family were in the next door property. The faulty heater was in their elderly neighbours house.
Get any heaters checked please.

I would like to follow-up on Valli's post please.

PLEASE do not allow airbricks/vents to be covered over - no matter what the circumstances.

I am a Sheltered Scheme Manager and, one morning, had a lady tell me that she didn't feel very well at all and was unable to get out of bed. She had a terrible headache, which we at first attributed to her possibly having had a fit during the night as she had epilepsy. Her medication didn't appear to help at all, so I sent for an ambulance - always better safe than sorry in my book!

A while later I had a message from her daughter that she had been diagnosed with very high levels of carbon monoxide in her blood and her daughter was concerned that there was a possible fault on the gas fire/boiler or a blocked chimney/flue. She met me at the property so that I could show her the most recent Inspection Certificate to prove that things had been passed on a certain date. While we were there, I noticed that EVERY airbrick and vent had been papered over which I pointed out to the daughter. The daughter was really angry as it had been her own son who had decorated for his Nan. We later found out that the elderly lady had requested that he should do that because she didn't like the 'draughts' coming through them and he didn't understand the possible consequences.

This particular flat had full gas central heating plus a gas fire in the living room - so there was no need at all to be worried about a 'flow of fresh air' entering the building.

If you live in a new-build home, very often they don't have 'airbricks/vents' as such, BUT where double-glazing is concerned please make sure that you keep the vents above the windows open - again these are to make sure you have adequate flow of fresh air PLUS they also help to stop condensation forming.

Where my lady was concerned, she was lucky that she had me to call her in the morning and she was able to let me know that she felt unwell. If she had lived completely unsupported, the consequences don't bear thinking about.

carriebradshaw

mardatha wrote: »

I also think coal fires are the way to go, for anybody who possibly can. Even if the price of coal goes up , then you can still use wood, cook on it in (and out of) power cuts, and no damp !

we have a coal fire and apart from the daily dust it brings when you clean it out every day we love it,as we get hot water and can dry washing easily as thewhole house is warm, still have to have electric on to run the pump for the radiators though.We have cooked on it (well reheated stews and soups from the freezer) and boiled water for tea when the power is off which happens quite a lot here in Winter. We're gonna try and boil all our tea/coffee water on the fire this Winter when we've got it lit, it takes hardly any time and will save a lot of electric.

sammy_kaye18

Oh that stuff makes me paranoid - the boiler etc - ive just had mine serviced last month though so i know we are ok - have the certificate (well sticker thingy to prove it thankfully) and i have a vent in the kitchen where my boiler is - only problem is my vent is down under the side behind the space my washign machine fits into! :eek: but i do have the kitchen window (its fairly big - open form dawn till dusk and the living room windows are open more often than not to air the flat as we et terrible damp here!

i hate the idea that elderly people will be struggling this winter especially as most of my village is off hte older generation - ie born here and never left it! am also worried about my nan and grandad - my grandad is 70 and very ill with rheumatoid arthritus (??? can barely say it let alone spell it!) and is preactially crippled by it - i know they have a fire in their living room and gas central heating but they try not to use it. I sent my nan a selection of fruit teas and a little brewing pot last year as her christmas present so i knew she was keeping warm etc and my grandad had a fleecey cardy, one of those wheat bags, some shortbread adn thick socks that are unelasticated so they dont hurt his legs. So at least i know he has those this winter.

Thinking i might send them a winter survival kit this september/october though - with nice warm jammies each, fleece blanket for grandads lap when hes watching tv,(my nan crochets/knits) of an evening, a hat,scarf,gloves set each for when they go to church. Anything else for an elderly couple i could send?? they arent really into candles etc. I know that if they were really struggling my dad, aunt and their families would help out but still want to know they are looked after and ive done what i can for them.

Primrose

sammy-kaye - Probably the best thing you can send your grandparents to help them keep warm is a financial contribution towards their winter heating bills, if you can afford to. I don't know whether any of the Fuel Companies provide gift vouchers, but if they don't, there ought to be a national scheme, like the National Garden Gift Token scheme for gardeners whereby you can buy gift tokens in any garden centre and they can be cashed in anywhere. Fuel proverty is going to be major issue this winter for many people and it surely can't be beyond the Fuel suppliers, (both gas and electricity) to get together and set up a scheme now. Possibly a lot of older people would rather have a Fuel Gift Token, than a packet of bath salts at Christmas, and it would solve the problem of "What do we give Gran/Grandad for Christmas?"

Olliebeak

Hi Sammy_Kaye - One of the best things that you can do for your grandparents is to make certain that they are claiming all that they are entitled to. They should be entitled to the 'Winter Fuel Payment' and there are other benefits that they might possibly be able to claim as well.

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/PensionsAndRetirement/MoneyInRetirement/DG_10014662


Please don't let them sit there and NOT claim (even if they have been refused previously). Peoples' circumstances change, and being refused one time doesn't mean that they will NEVER be entitled.

National Insurance is very similar to other insurance policies. Nobody would dream of paying home and contents insurance and then not claiming if there was a fire or a break-in. The same should apply with our health as we get older. People like your nan and grandad have paid in during their working lives and now is the time to claim the benefits for those payments.