Ideas to Keep Grandma Warm?

Question

First off, let me apologize for rushing right to the Senior Citizen board with this question, I just hoped to have more "been there and this is what I did/am doing" type answers.

My grandmother has had heart problems her whole life and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, heart disease, etc. She has just recovered from a stroke ( Go Her!) and is doing really well, except for the fact that her doctors seem to have her on a zillion blood thinners. She's handling that quite well, but we're from Buffalo, NY and it's starting to get COLD.

She seems to be always freezing and I'm looking for a gift to send her (I'm in CA) that would help keep her toasty, but I don't know what would be the best thing. I've thought of slippers and sweaters and heated throws for when she's watching TV and things like that, but I was hoping to hear from someone who had been through a similar situation and could tell me "hey this is really great".

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thanks in advance!

We've got her house outfitted with lots of space heaters, but her and my grandpa aren't exactly millionaires so the electric bill is becoming a bit much for them and the rest of the family to handle. Are there any space heaters that are really cheap (cost wise) to run all day?

I want to just send her a plane ticket and let them come out here for a bit, but her doc says no to travel, at least for the immediate future.

So any other suggestions or ideas would be really great and thanks again in advance for all the help!

Answer 1

What about a throw for the couch, or some flannel sheets for the bed? A nice cardigan sweater is always appreciated. I've found that older people often tend to get cold feet, so thicker socks and fleecy slippers help. The couch throw is useful for throwing over the lap and covering the legs.

I am attaching a link that has some ideas that I hope will help. I live in Toronto, so I know what your Grandma's going through.

Answer 2

First off, please don't apologize... we love to be of help when ever we can... you are welcome here anytime...

All the information that has been given so far is great... about the only things I can think of is good hunting socks... and they now make insulated long underwear that is very thin and soft on the skin... I love my feather beds, yet still use an electric blanket... also they make very soft neck scarfs now days... generally with gloves and hat to match. Most heat loss is out the top of your head believe it or not... I also have made myself some travel pillow size rice pillows... you heat them up in the microwave (be careful with this as it's easy to get them to hot) and put them where you feel cold... the rice makes them just tuck in nicely... no gaps!

Hope this helps!!! and I do like the everyone pitching in with the heating bill idea! You can prepay throughout the year in most places so it's not such a shock during the winter months!

Good on Ya Hon!

Answer 3

Helping with the heating bill is a good idea. Space heaters kinda worry me. Also with all the heat in the house she might need a humidifier to keep the air from getting dry. I have heard of electric mattress pads and I think that that would be a good idea also. Send her lots of different kinds of hot chocolate and coffees or teas. Make sure that her windows have good thermal drapes. Pay someone to winterize her home by insulating and checking for drafts. Those little drafts can be very uncomfortable.

Answer 4

Both of my parents have had a stroke as well. Dad is the one that has a hard time staying warm. Space heaters are expensive to run, that is for sure. I am going to give you a couple of links to go to. This is a heater that my parents bought. It is great. They even got another one for me to put in my tiny travel trailer to keep it warmer in here. They come in different sizes as well. These little heaters are the greatest things. You can read about them by going to this site. www.edenpure.com They are so much safer by far than a space heater is. They even have an air filter in them so as you are heating your room/house up they are also filtering the air. They are thermostat controlled. Also try this link as well, www.biotechresearch.com this is the same company as well and you can see the same heater here as well plus more of the stuff they have to offer. These heaters are a lot cheaper to run than the space heaters. Hope this is some help to you.

Answer 5

Well, I am going to suggest something different, that is probably NOT feasible, but would make a wonderful difference.

Change the TYPE of heating their house uses. It costs a lot of money to do it, but the benefits are absolutely wonderful....get rid of all the electric space heaters, and whatever other method you now use to heat the house, and have it refitted for in-floor hot water based heating. They also have systems of "click together" baseboards that carry the hot water through and radiate warmth continuously, with no chances of fire or high heating costs....gas fired, hot water heating is the CHEAPEST form of heating by far...once you have the system in place. Unfortunately it is also one of the most expensive systems to install as a refit (not so bad for new construction).

Long term this system WOULD give you the most enjoyable heat levels THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.

Answer 6

Haven't looked at other suggestions. But thick warm socks and slippers with fur inside. Gloves with the fingertips off, you know what I mean. Really warm spencers/vests? in USA, with sleeves. (OK thermal underwear, no holes in it)

Thick fleece track suit pants, with polar neck sweaters and a thick jumper over. If she is dressed warm the heating should be fine. Hope she is OK. Horrible to have a stroke, glad she is doing well.

Answer 7

I love Min's answer. Everyone could chip in 20-50 each and pay the electric for them. If my mother were alone I would do this for her in a heartbeat. In my case hubby resents doing it while she has 3 adults living with her that will not clean the house or walk the dogs.

Answer 8

Yes, they make heated throws to use even when sitting in a chair.I have poor circulation, so i am cold all the time too. I always wear socks, and if I am home, I wear sweatpants and sweatshirts or I have insulated underwear on. I love the electric blanket on my bed. And, I even wear gloves around the house.

Answer 9

why not get the whole family to chip into a heating bill fund for the winter?
pay the heating bill directly,and say in a card,happy Bday,merry christmas,etc etc,don't worry about the cost of warm toes this winter!
that probably would make a difference in how much they use those heaters.

Answer 10

If you've got the money, they have recliners that have heating systems in them. They cost around $800 I think. You also might want to check with the state and see if Grandma is eligible for heating assistance. Good Luck!