Housing team issues guidance for customers as temperatures soar

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) is helping customers keep cool and stay safe with summer temperatures set to soar even higher.

We have increased wellbeing checks on older customers during the current spell of extreme weather, upping calls and visits to people in sheltered housing to provide information about how to look after yourself during the heatwave.

Tina Drury, managing director of YHN, said: “We do everything we can to ensure all of our customers are well looked after and supported, where possible. However, when we encounter spells of extreme weather, it is our older residents who tend to feel the impacts more.

“As such, we have created simple to follow guidance for people to stay hydrated and healthy during this summer’s heatwave. While to some, it may just be common sense, to others it might be a handy reminder to take preventative measures to avoid feeling unwell as the hot weather continues.”

All YHN Housing Plus staff have undertaken hydration awareness training, helping them provide direct advice and guidance to older people on staying hydrated.

Teams are also making extra checks on customers and reminding them about staying hydrated and keeping cool. 

Tina added: “Our customers receive a daily wellbeing call, and our staff are using these as opportunities to remind people about the importance of staying hydrated and providing guidance on the best things to eat and drink to ensure they maintain a healthy balance to their water intake during the heatwave.

“We are committed to our customers, so providing a little help during extreme weather is something we do automatically. Whether it’s baking hot, freezing cold or we’re in the grip of hurricane force winds, YHN ensure the people living in our homes have access to the support network they require, and receive all necessary guidance on how to cope in any extreme circumstances.”

Older people are more at risk of dehydration because they don’t feel as thirsty as younger people, they may limit fluid intake to reduce toilet trips and cognitive impairments such as dementia can affect people remembering to get a drink.

Helen Sammut-Smith, who oversees YHN’s older people’s services, said: “For some people, we are their main link to the outside world and may be one of the few faces they see during an average week, so we will use these interactions to make sure they are doing the right things and have access to the correct guidance about combating dehydration.

“We will also help people keep cool at our customer group meetings, by dishing out ice lollies to tenants and staff who attend.”

Your Homes Newcastle guidance to customers:

• Drink little and often
• Have a drink with every meal and between meals
• Don’t just drink tea, coffee and energy drinks, try cold milk, water or pop
• Don’t drink too much alcohol but if you do, drink water in between
• Eat uncooked fruit and vegetables with high-water content:

Fruits: oranges, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, melon

Vegetables: cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers

• Have more foods with a high liquid content - ice lollies, ice cream, jelly, custards, soups, smoothies, milk puddings

Signs that you could be dehydrated:

• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Not going to the toilet often
• Feeling tired
• Lacking energy
• Strong coloured and smelly urine
• Feeling more confused

Read our full guide here

Featured in image: Supported Living Manager, Nicola Blackburn; Managing Director, Tina Drury; Stephen Janes, People & Policy Manager cool off with some ice lollies