Keep Warm Illinois campaign offers tips for seniors to stay healthy and warm this winter      

[DEC. 20, 2005]  CHICAGO -- As the wind chill drops temperatures to single digits in many parts of the state, officials with Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich's Keep Warm Illinois campaign are offering tips for seniors on how to stay healthy and warm during the upcoming winter months. The Keep Warm Illinois campaign is a comprehensive effort to inform and prepare Illinois residents, especially the elderly and people with disabilities, for record-high home heating costs this winter.

"We all know that older people are at higher risk and more susceptible to illness and falls during the cold months," Blagojevich said. "That's why we want to make sure that seniors know how to keep themselves safe and healthy when the temperature drops the way it has in recent days. The state has resources available that seniors should use so they aren't left to make difficult decisions about paying their heating bills or taking their prescription drugs this winter."

"I hope that older people, their families and those who care for them will take these practical, simple steps to prepare for the cold weather ahead," Illinois Department on Aging Director Charles D. Johnson said. "Older people should set their thermostats to above 65 degrees. I know that this year is going to be particularly tough on seniors on fixed incomes because the price of gas and electricity to heat homes is skyrocketing. But I urge them not to turn the heat down any lower than 65 degrees. Their health and well-being should come before anything else."

People who try to lower their heating bill by turning down their thermostat below 65 degrees risk developing hypothermia, a potentially fatal condition in which the body temperature drops dangerously low. At increased risk are older people who take certain medications, drink alcohol, lack proper nutrition and who have conditions such as arthritis, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

If paying the heating bill is a problem, seniors can call the Department on Aging Senior HelpLine at 1 [phone]. The department can help link eligible people to state resources that may be available. Additional information can also be found by visiting www.keepwarm.illinois.gov or by calling the Keep Warm Illinois toll-free line at 1 (877) 411-WARM. Other cold-weather tips are listed below:

• Dress in layers and cover as much skin as possible while outdoors. A hat is important since so much body heat escapes from an uncovered head.

• Keep active. Make a list of indoor exercises and activities when you cannot get out.

• Eat well and drink 10 glasses of water every day.

• Keep extra medications in the house. If this is not possible, make arrangements now with a pharmacy that will deliver.

• Stock up on extra nonperishable food supplies, just in case.

• Have your house winterized. Be sure that walls and attics are insulated. Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows. Insulate pipes near outer walls, in crawl spaces and attics that are susceptible to freezing.

• Make sure you and your family know how to shut off the water supply in case pipes burst.

• Prepare your vehicle for winter: Check wipers, tires, lights and fluid levels regularly. Keep a windshield scraper and small broom for ice and snow removal. Maintain at least a half tank of gas during the winter season. Plan long trips carefully and travel by daylight with at least one other person.

• Protect against fire. If you don't have a fire extinguisher, buy one. Make sure space heaters are at least three feet from anything flammable. Do not overload extension cords.

• If you live in a house, plan now for someone else to shovel the snow when it comes. Do not shovel snow or walk in deep snow. The strain from the cold and hard labor could cause a heart attack; sweating can lead to a chill and even hypothermia.

The governor's comprehensive Keep Warm Illinois initiatives include the following:

• The Keep Warm Illinois website, www.keepwarm.illinois.gov, offers various no-cost and low-cost energy-saving tips, a Web-based tool to conduct a home energy audit, links to energy assistance programs, and locations of warming centers and energy saving workshops, among other resources. The Keep Warm Illinois toll-free line, 1 (877) 411-WARM, is another resource for Illinois residents to learn how to save energy and get energy assistance.

• Warming centers and clothing drives -- The Department of Human Services is coordinating clothing drives and providing warming centers in every region of the state to provide Illinoisans a place to stay warm and comfortable if they turn down their thermostats during the day to lower their heating bills. More information on the state's warming centers will be available by calling 1 (877) 411-WARM.

• Energy savings workshops -- The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has partnered with community colleges across the state to conduct workshops that offer important information on how people can improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The department also formed an innovative partnership with Menards retail stores. On Nov. 19, 48 Menards locations across Illinois hosted Keep Warm Illinois Day, where, throughout the day, consumers could ask the store's experts how to use many readily available practices and products to reduce their home energy bills. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services will organize community workshops statewide through Community Action agencies. At these workshops, Illinois residents will have access to information from energy conservation experts on how to reduce overall energy costs.

• Winter Assistance Days -- The Department of Healthcare and Family Services is working with congressional, state and local leaders to organize a series of Winter Assistance events throughout Illinois where low-income families can apply for the state's energy assistance programs and receive free energy savings kits.

• Illinois Energy Efficient Affordable Housing Construction Program -- The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has grants available to nonprofit housing developers who include energy-efficient building practices in the rehab or construction of affordable housing units. These building practices often bring energy savings between 50 percent and 75 percent.

• Winter storm preparation -- Illinois experiences five severe winter storms each year, on average. Nearly 80 people in the United States die from winter storms and extreme cold every year, which is more than the fatalities due to tornadoes. The hazards posed by winter storms and extreme cold can be catastrophic. So, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will offer a winter storm preparation manual that includes important information on actions to take now that will increase residents' chances of surviving winter storms and extreme cold. ["Winter Storm Preparedness" manual] [To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the PDF file, click here.]

[News release from the governor's office]

---