November 2024
The winter months can be difficult for many of us, with the colder weather and shorter daylight hours affecting everything from our finances to our feelings.
We're putting together a series of special edition 'winter support and wellbeing' newsletters to share information and advice to help you and your families to stay well, warm, happy and safe this winter.
This one is about the things you can do to look after your physical and mental health during the colder months.
 Stay warm
One of the best ways to keep yourself well during winter is to stay warm, as this can help to prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression.
With the high cost of living at the moment, it's tempting to try and ride out the cold weather to avoid spending too much on heating. But being cold can have a serious impact on your health, particularly if you’re older or have a pre-existing condition.
If you can’t heat your whole home, it’s important to try to heat the rooms you spend the most time in (for example, the living room during the day and the bedroom just before going to sleep) to at least 18°C.
Simple, low-cost changes can also help to keep you and your home warm, such as fitting draught excluders to doors, keeping windows closed, wearing several thin layers of clothing rather than one thick one, having hot food and drinks and moving around often rather than sitting still.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service want to make sure that you heat your home safely this winter.
They're asking everyone to make sure that they have a working smoke alarm on every level of their property so you’re alerted quickly in the event of a fire. They also recommend having a carbon monoxide alarm in any room where fuel is burnt as there's a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. So that's rooms with boilers, cookers, ovens, open fires and wood burners for example.
If you're using a portable heater, they recommend an oil-filled one rather than anything with a visible heating element. Choose a heater with a trip switch (this means it will switch off if knocked over), and make sure it's always on a flat surface, at least one metre away from anything flammable.
If you have an open fire or log burner, get your chimney swept by a professional chimney sweep before you start using it as dirty chimneys can lead to chimney fires. It’s also important to make sure you’re burning the correct fuel. Some types of wood can be highly toxic when burned, so you can’t just burn anything. You must burn seasoned (specially dried) wood, smokeless fuels or coal.
Visit the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service website for more advice about staying warm safely this winter.
The risk from viruses is greater during winter when they circulate most as people spend more time indoors, so it's important to take up the NHS vaccination offer if you're eligible. Vaccines provide vital protection to keep people from developing serious illnesses and ending up in hospital during busy winter months.
Many people get seriously ill from flu, including having complications like
bronchitis or pneumonia, and every winter thousands of people die. COVID-19 can also still make people seriously ill. Getting vaccinated every year against flu and COVID-19 will top up your protection and reduce your risk of getting severe symptoms. Even if you have had previous flu and COVID-19 vaccinations or have had one of the viruses, get vaccinated as protection will fade and both viruses can change over time. Visit the NHS website to find out more about who is eligible for winter vaccinations, and how to book your jab.
The NHS also offers vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common cause of coughs and colds which can be dangerous to older people and young children. The jab is available to those aged 75 to 79 years old, and offered to pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their child, along with the whopping cough vaccine after 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Cases of infectious illnesses can increase over winter, including highly contagious infections such as flu and norovirus, also called the ‘winter vomiting bug’. These can make all of us unwell and can be especially serious for those of us who are more vulnerable, like the elderly and those people with certain health conditions.
Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others from catching these viruses and help reduce the pressures on healthcare services. Washing your hands properly removes dirt, viruses and bacteria to stop them spreading to other people and objects and can help stop the spread of common winter infections. If you do not have immediate access to soap and water, then use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
 Keeping your kids healthy this school year
The Government's UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding parents of the simple steps they can take to reduce the spread of stomach bugs and winter illnesses to ensure that their family stays healthy.
Regularly washing your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs. can help you to explain and discuss hygiene habits and their importance, to your child or teenager.
Stomach bugs spread easily in schools and nurseries, so it’s important not to return to school, nursery or work until 48 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms have stopped. Visit the NHS website for more guidance about
Children aged two and three years old and all primary school and secondary school aged children up to Year 11 are eligible for the flu vaccine. It’s also important to ensure your children are up-to-date with their routine vaccinations, which protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and polio.
Don't forget to for up-to-date advice about common childhood illnesses and how to treat them. Parents answer a series of questions about the symptoms their child is experiencing. The app then advises on the best course of action, whether that’s to treat at home, to make a GP appointment, or to head to A&E.
It is important to get medical help as soon as you feel unwell, particularly if more vulnerable to the effects of cold weather.
You can get help and advice from:
- a pharmacy – pharmacists can give treatment advice for a range of minor illnesses and can tell you if you need to see a doctor
- your GP – you may be able to speak to a GP online or over the phone, or go in for an appointment if they think you need to
- NHS 111 – go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111 if you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do
The sooner you get advice, the sooner you're likely to get better.
In an emergency, go to A&E immediately or call 999.
Remember that other people, such as older neighbours, friends and family members, may need a bit of extra help over the winter, so keep in touch with them regularly and ask if they need any practical help, or if they’re feeling under the weather.
Icy pavements and roads can be very slippery, and cold weather can stop people from getting out and about. Make sure they’re stocked up with enough food supplies for a few days, in case they can’t go out. If they do need to go out in the cold, encourage them to wear shoes with a good grip and a scarf around the mouth to protect them from the cold air, and to reduce their risk of chest infections.
If they need help when the GP practice or pharmacy is closed or they’re not sure what to do, NHS 111 can help. The service is available online at 111.nhs.uk and also by phone. By answering questions about their health problem they will be told what to do and where to go.
Make sure you get your prescription medicines in good time and before your pharmacy or GP practice closes for the festive holidays.
You can order prescriptions via GP or pharmacy websites, by calling them, or through NHS-approved apps.
If you can't get out, ask a friend, relative or volunteer to collect medicines for you.
A list of NHS-approved apps is here
You can also order your repeat prescriptions through the NHS App, as well as make GP appointments and access a range of other online NHS services.
Having a well balanced diet all year round is important, but eating healthily in winter is crucial for supporting your immune system, which defends the body against common viruses such as colds and flu, which are more likely to circulate during the winter.
But this can be expensive, and many families in Devon who are struggling financially are worrying about how to afford household essentials. We want to make sure that no child in Devon goes hungry in the school holidays, so we are supporting low-income families to help put food on the table this winter.
Supermarket vouchers worth £45 will be sent to each child currently eligible for free school meals during term time, to spend during the Christmas holiday and February half-term break to replace the meals they would have had at school during the day. More detailed information about our free school meals holiday voucher scheme is available on our website.
You can apply for free school meals for your child on our website, and you'll get an instant decision. Or you can call our education helpline on 0345 155 1019. If you have applied unsuccessfully before and your financial circumstances have since changed, please apply again.
If you’re more than ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four-years-old, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food, such as fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried, and tinned pulses and cows milk. If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money added to it every four weeks. You can also use your card for infant formula milk based on cow’s milk and to collect vitamins for you and vitamin drops for babies and young children. To find out more, visit the NHS website.
Winter brings shorter, wetter, colder days which means children often spend much more time indoors and might not be able to get together with their friends as often.
The school holidays can be particularly difficult, especially for low-income families who may not be able to afford to take part in lots of activities. So we've teamed up with over 60 different providers across Devon to offer a great range of free indoor and outdoor activities to children aged five to 16-years-old, who receive benefit-related free school meals.
They will have the opportunity to develop new skills or knowledge and try out new experiences in a safe and sociable environment. This could include physical activities such as football, table tennis or cricket; creative activities, for example, arts and crafts or drumming workshops or other experiences like a nature walk or visiting a farm. They'll also get to enjoy a healthy meal.
This winter we've also partnered with Northcott Theatre in Exeter and The Queens Theatre in Barnstaple to offer families the opportunity to see a pantomime.
Bookings will open on Monday 25 November, and details of activities can be found on our interactive map. If your child is eligible to access the programme, simply search for a provider in your area, have a look at their listing to see what they’re offering, then when you’re ready, book a place with them directly.
For some people, the dark days and cold weather of winter can have a negative impact on their motivation, mood and productivity, leaving them feeling sluggish, tired and struggling to do the things we normally enjoy.
The lack of sunlight during winter is a big factor in this, so getting outside for just 10 minutes a day if you can is really helpful. If you can't get outside, then open your blinds and curtains and sit by the window.
It's also easy to become isolated over the winter months, but too much time alone can lead to feelings of loneliness. Try to catch up regularly with friends and family, either in person or by phone. And if you want to meet new people, volunteering is great way to do this and give back to your local community at the same time.
Looking after your physical health can make a difference to how you feel emotionally. If you can, try and do some regular physical activity during the winter. Physical activity can be very effective in lifting mood and increasing energy levels. It doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous. It could be yoga or walking, or even activities like housework or gardening get your moving.
Visit our website to find out more about mental health support in Devon.
Libraries across Devon are continuing to throw their doors open to help communities find warmth and stay well this winter.
Staff and volunteers are pulling out all the stops to make sure people feel welcomed and supported with a range of activities and offers such as community events, free hot drinks and rails full of warm coats for anyone who needs one.
Library teams will be devising their own programmes of services for individual communities, considering customer need for their particular location. To find out what Libraries Unlimited are planning as part of their Cold Days, Warm Libraries campaign, keep an eye on their website or visit your nearest library’s website. You can join any of the Devon libraries for free by visiting Libraries Unlimited’s Devon website.
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