Any ideas or suggestions for my father (93) who is cold all the time?

Dear Bjp,

I'm so sorry to hear how cold your 93 year old father is feeling. I wonder if an electric blanket might be helpful. I would consider getting a second or third opinion and have his blood work reviewed. For my own dad, I would always leave the furnace on and keep the house a little warmer than normal.

I would also look into potassium and iron levels if at all possible. May sound strange, but I used to be a marathon runner when I was younger. After a pretty long week of training and running, I would get these persistent chills, and always felt cold. This lasted for a year or so and I got used it to (thought it was normal). Eventually, this turned into muscle spasms causing me to get checked out. After finding out I was running myself it to the ground with my levels I had started to incorporated more into my diet. Have been fine (and warm) ever since. As others have mentioned, it can be a whole range of things and it's best to get him checked. Better to be safe than sorry!

Bjp315, in addition to above, does he have any other symptoms? In addition to what the ladies mentioned above, if it got worse suddenly, it could be a minor infection. My grandpa would sometimes get chills with a UTI (and low fever.) However in his early 90s, he did start staying cold all the time. One thing I thought was helpful was a fleece vest. It wasn't too bulky and helped keep his back and neck warm. He loved his flannel sheets too. And a cup of tea would warm him up quickly too.

Please check with his physician. It could be anything from anemia, to circulatory problems. In the meantime, Please wrap him up in his favorite blanket, get him warm socks, turn up the heat if you can, and add flannel sheets to his bed, along with thin blankets in layers. Hope this helps! prayers and hugs

Speaking from experience, many get colder as they get older. Can the heat be turned up in the area in which he lives. Some people use heaters, the safe kind, to place near the person to warm up the area. Layers of clothing add warmth, as do lap blankets. What medical conditions does he have?

As we age out skin thins which is our primary barrier to cold. Dress him in layers, try a heated throw, warm fuzzy long slippers, UGGS are great, a knit cap. . Follow suggestions above too.

Does your father have any impairments, such as dementia or copd, etc.?

I think in general people tend to like/need more heat as they age. Warm clothing in layers that can be peeled off as necessary can be helpful. Turning up the thermostat (not necessarily all the way to where he can be in shorts) a bit might make him more comfortable.

My mother was always cold. She always wore a sweater and always had a blanket over her lap. (She was in a wheelchair.) Her hands would get so cold she didn't like to take them out from the blanket to play cards or color, etc. We got her some fingerless gloves, and that helped a lot. Other people in the NH were envious (cold hands are common) and we contributed several to use as bingo prizes.

It can be poor circulation, or blood thinners, or even peripheral neuropathy. Get him some fleece to wear to bed, make sure he has layers with some weight to them to insulate. Adding a humidifier can help, because it increases the sensible temperature.