WE are now just a week into 2025, and the new year has already seen the country plunge into a very cold spell of weather, with temperatures set to drop even further during the next few days.
Irish charity Alone, which was set up to highlight the issues facing older people in Ireland, is monitoring the weather very closely and checking in with the older people it supports across the country.
The organisation is encouraging older people to look for any support they might need, and it is asking others to be aware of the older people in their communities who may be challenged, or more isolated, because of the cold snap.
Cold weather events cause excess winter deaths. It is a serious public health issue we all need to be aware of. Slips, trips and falls in people aged over 75 can have serious, even fatal consequences, with an average of 20 percent of older people dying within a year of a hip........

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