Worried about living in your home with the rising cost of living?

Are you worried about being able to live comfortably at home with the cost of living going up in the UK?

Here at Careline we want to help you and advise you beyond the services we provide. We acknowledge that the colder months at the end of the year are always gloomier than the brighter summer days. However, we have put together some top tips for staying safe and warm whilst living independently within your home.

Wanting to keep your house warm without paying out?

(Sourced from Daily Record Seven ways to keep your house warm without putting on the heating before and after price hike – Daily Record)

  • Make sure all windows and doors are closed. Doing this will keep the warmth within your home and prevent cold air getting into your house.
  • Use curtains and blinds effectively. Open them when the sun is out because the sun heats your home for free, in the night keep them drawn as this is another layer of insulation within your home.
  • Layer up. Instead of feeling a bit nippy and whacking on the heating for ten minutes, put on a jumper, longer trousers, or socks; this is an effective way of getting warm quickly.

Worried about spending this winter because you may face some hardship?

(Sourced from Ask Lily, Household Support Fund | LILY (asklily.org.uk))

  • The DWP is providing funding to County Councils and Unitary Authorities to administer the Household Support Fund and provide assistance to households most in need.
  • The fund is available to support those in need of support with Fuel and Food costs, and it is running till the 31st of March 2023.
  • King’s Lynn and West Norfolk residents can apply here Apply for the DWP Household Support Fund (west-norfolk.gov.uk), anyone outside this region should search on their local County Councils website.

Facing the cold and unsure on what to do?

Sourced from (Warm Welcome, Find a Warm Welcome Space Today and Spaces — Warm Spaces).

  • Across the UK, there are warm and welcoming spaces for people to go to if they are unable to switch their heating on, you can find a local warm space near you by putting your postcode into the above link.
  • Most of the registered warm spaces can provide attendees with hot drinks, free Wi-Fi, computer access, free parking and sometimes food.
  • For people within King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, please look on the Ask Lily directory where all local warm hubs are listed and updated regularly Community Categories – Search Results | LILY (asklily.org.uk).
  • Each warm space holds an environment that is judgement free and have been set up with the promise to support people within the community keeping them safe.

If you are one of our customers and feel like you need further information or support on any of the above points, please call us up on 01553616200 or email us on careline.operators@west-norfolk.gov.uk and one of our members of team will talk to you on how we can personally assist you.

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Are you feeling lonely or isolated within your home?

As people get older, naturally, we are exposed to a lot. This exposure could be loss, regeneration, mental health, or even a global pandemic which can lead to a change within the life that surrounds us. We must adapt to this change within our lives and carry on, whatever this change may be. Throughout the process of change, individuals can often reject embracing a difference within their livelihood and will naturally isolate themselves from the world around them. This self – isolation can encourage the feeling of loneliness within their own home.

Here at Careline we support you so you can live independently within your home, but we also want you to be happy within the environment around you. So, together with our partner LILY we have some advice for you to avoid feeling lonely and to avoid physically isolating yourself within your home…

Find your community

Whether you have lived in an area for 12 years or 12 weeks, do you really know what is going on within your community? One of the best ways to combat loneliness is being active and getting involved with others. The best way to find out about community activities is through looking online or checking out notice boards within local shops etc. Find something that could spark interest for an old hobby or join a group based on anything relevant to who you are, people are out there waiting to connect without you even knowing.

If you are local to West Norfolk the online Lily directory ( Things to do | LILY (asklily.org.uk) ) is where you can see what is going on within your area, and you can also ring up and speak to someone if you are unsure on what to attend.

Talk

It may not be easy now, or you may think you have nothing to talk about. However, when you open up and speak about how you feel whether you talk about feeling lonely or talk about your favourite animal, conversing with another being can create connections. Connections can be emotional, physical and mental and these connections are so important as it could lead to you finding an opportunity to be supported, listened to and heard. Getting things off your chest could be that moment of relief you need to feel the weight being lifted from your shoulders.

You’re not alone

When feeling lonely and isolated, it is often normal to feel like you are the only person in the world to feel the way you do. Over 9 million people within the UK feel lonely, with 1.2 million being categorised as ‘older people’. Unless you looked for these statistics, you wouldn’t be aware of the loneliness impact within our country. Whether someone has been through a similar situation or has led a completely different life to you, someone probably at one point in their existence has felt lonely. You are not alone with how you feel, do not hesitate to reach out to the different services available.

Check out Lily’s online directory LILY (asklily.org.uk) or please contact us at Careline Community Services on our phone number 01553 616200 or please email us at careline.operators@west-norfolk.gov.uk, and we will help you as much as we can.

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