Warning of risk to elderly as bodies recovered
Dec 4 2010 by Sarah Scott, The Journal
PEOPLE in the North are being asked to check on elderly relatives and neighbours after two pensioners died following falls in their own gardens.
The body of Lillian Jenkinson, 80, was found in her back garden by police in Workington, Cumbria, yesterday. It is feared that she collapsed in her garden and froze to death.
The discovery came after the body of an elderly man was found in his garden in Kirby Stephen, also in Cumbria.
Last night Simon Bottery, director of policy for Independent Age, described the two deaths as “tragic”.
“Older people are especially vulnerable during the cold winter months – the cold snap has put many elderly people at serious risk,” he said. “Older people need to keep their room temperatures higher than younger people to stay healthy, and are likely to spend a lot more time indoors. But given the current cost of fuel prices this can be a real strain, and leads some to cut back on other basics or risking the cold.
“Unfortunately, it remains the case that many vulnerable older people are still not receiving the best deals from their energy suppliers.”
Helena Herklots, services director at Age UK, said: “Following the coldest November on record for years and in the midst of an ongoing cold snap, Age UK is urging people in later life to be prepared and take extra precautions to stay warm and well this winter.”
Plummeting temperatures continued to cause traffic chaos across the North East yesterday as icy conditions became more treacherous.
Police closed a section of the A69 for four hours after a three-vehicle collision yesterday morning.
The road was closed between the Haltwhistle and Haydon Bridge exits in Northumberland after an HGV jack-knifed near Haltwhistle.
Emergency services attended the scene and the driver of the pick-up was taken to hospital. His condition is not believed to be life threatening. Traffic was diverted but police were forced to warn motorists to stick to these diversions as they received reports of drivers taking their own diversions to avoid the accident and becoming stuck in minor roads due to the snow and ice.
