The clocks have gone back and it’s dark before 5pm. For older people living at home, darker evenings, cold snaps and wet leaves mean a higher risk of falls, illness and loneliness. The good news? Most of that risk can be cut with small, simple changes, and you can do them all in an afternoon.
Welcome to our winter-ready home checklist, the Winter-Ready Home Check. Tap each room of the house below, tick off what’s already sorted, and watch the house warm up. Get every room glowing and you’ll earn your Winter-Ready Home badge. It saves your progress on this device, and you can print a personal to-do list or share it with family.
Why it matters
Around 1 in 3 adults over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year, according to the NHS. Falls are more likely in poor light, in the cold and when someone is unwell, which is why the start of winter is the perfect time for a home safety check.
Your Winter-Ready Home Check
Tap a room to start.
Each room has four quick checks. Rooms turn from frosty blue to warm peach as you go.
Brilliant! Your home is winter-ready 🎉
Every room is glowing. Keep this page bookmarked and come back next autumn: the check resets each year so you can do it again when the clocks change.
The full winter-ready home checklist
Prefer a simple list? Here is every item in our winter-ready home checklist, room by room. Open a room to read it, or use the interactive check above to tick things off.
Bedroom
Many falls happen getting up in the night. Make the route to the bathroom safe and lit.
- A lamp or torch within reach of the bed, so nobody gets up in the dark.
- Plug-in night lights on the route to the bathroom, or motion-sensor lights that switch on automatically.
- Warm bedding, layers and bed socks, and electric blankets checked for damage and replaced if over 10 years old.
- A phone or personal alarm next to the bed, so help is one press away.
Stairs & hallway
Stairs and hallways are where poor light and clutter do the most harm.
- Bright, warm bulbs on the stairs and landing, with switches at the top and bottom.
- Sturdy handrails, ideally on both sides, checked that they don’t wobble.
- Nothing left on the stairs, no bags, shoes or post waiting to go up.
- Rugs and mats secured or removed, with non-slip backing on any that stay.
Bathroom
Wet, hard floors make the bathroom a common place for slips.
- A non-slip mat in and beside the bath or shower, and a bath mat that doesn’t slide.
- Grab rails by the toilet and bath, fitted properly, not suction cups.
- A night light in or near the bathroom, for safe night-time trips.
- The bathroom warmed before bathing, so getting out of the bath isn’t a cold shock.
Living room
The room where most of the day is spent should be warm and clutter-free.
- Heat the rooms you use to at least 18°C, as the NHS recommends, with the boiler serviced this year.
- Trailing cables and clutter tidied away, from heaters, lamps and walkways.
- Smoke alarms tested on every floor, by pressing the test button.
- A carbon monoxide alarm near the boiler, gas fire or wood burner, because carbon monoxide has no smell.
Kitchen
Eating well and staying stocked up keeps people strong and safe in bad weather.
- Hot meals and warm drinks through the day, with a flask by the favourite chair.
- A winter cupboard stocked, tinned soups, long-life milk, porridge and frozen meals.
- Repeat prescriptions ordered early, especially before the Christmas holidays.
- Everyday items moved within easy reach, so nobody climbs on chairs or step stools.
Outside & planning ahead
A few calls and a bag of salt now save a lot of worry later.
- Outside lights on the path and front door, on a timer or sensor for those early dark evenings.
- Salt or grit for the path, and someone lined up to clear snow and wet leaves.
- Flu jab booked and vitamin D considered, most people over 65 can have a free flu jab, and the NHS advises everyone to consider vitamin D in autumn and winter.
- Help lined up, join the Priority Services Register with energy and water suppliers, check benefits such as Pension Credit, and arrange a daily call or visit.
Helpful winter links
Winter Myth or Fact?
Five quick questions. How many can you get right?
If someone does fall
Get up slowly
Roll onto your side, crawl to a sturdy chair, kneel, then push up with your hands. Sit and rest before standing. Tell your GP, even if you feel fine.
Call for help and keep warm
Use your personal alarm or phone, or shout for help. Pull a blanket or coat over you and move gently to stay warm. Call 999 if seriously injured.
Winter signs to watch for in a loved one
- The home feels cold, or the heating isn’t being used to save money
- Out-of-date food, or less eating and drinking
- New bruises, unsteadiness or “near misses”
- More confusion, especially in the evenings
- Low mood, loneliness or not going out any more
If any of these sound familiar, a few hours of support a week can make a real difference, from a warm meal and a safety check to company on a dark afternoon. Read more in our guide to home care in Milton Keynes.
A little help this winter?
Peach Care Services provides friendly, CQC Good rated home care in Milton Keynes, from 30-minute visits to live-in care. We can help with meals, medication, personal care and keeping the home safe and warm.
Book a free assessmentCall 01908 686 869because we love to care 🍑