An extra layer of clothes against the skin may help, thermal underwear or SunGard shirts and pants. I used a layer of cotton and then a layer of synthetic clothes. Heating the room to 78-85 degrees helps too (temperature range my grandmother and parents preferred after about age 85).
My mom with a thyroid problem also had cold feet during her last years. A heating pad turned on low placed in the foot area when one is sitting or in bed seemed to help a lot. Make very sure you do not get the heating pad too warm and in contact with the person as it is VERY easy to burn someone before you or they even know the heat is burning them (I have burned myself this way treating sinus problems). I placed the heating pad on low under my mom's blanket with her feet on top of them. When I would pull the blanket covering her feet back to check, her feet and the blankets around her feet would be as warm as the blankets near her thighs. There are several products on Amazon, search by "foot warmer for bed".
We used a small ceramic heater in the room near her because it is safer than a coil radiant heater; it's cooler to the touch and more difficult for anything to come into direct contact with the heating element; many of them include a safety device to turn them off if it gets tipped over.
If you use multiple layers of socks or a thicker sock, be sure the shoes are still loose. If the shoes are even slightly tight, the feet will actually be colder than with thinner socks and a looser fit.
Fingerless gloves (where the fingertips are open) helped Mom in the house during winter. She would tolerate the fingerless gloves when she didn't like wearing full/normal gloves.
Serving food and drinks at least room temperature when he is feeling cold may help too. If you're already cool, the cooler temperature of anything you ingest affects you more. That being said, I did serve Mom's soup and coffee at a cooler temperature when she became more feeble. I was afraid if she spilled it, she might be unable to get away from the hot liquid in her lap and be burned.
I always worry about elders suffering thermal injury from anything that provides heat for a sustained time, even at a low level. A hot pack heated in microwave and wrapped in a pillowcase or thin towel is ok as the heat will steadily decrease over time. If using anything electric, be sure it has an automatic timer to turn it off. The point about hot foods is a good one...even when it looks like nothing was damaged, 24 hours later you can see the burn when it blisters out.
The "Polar Fleece" type shirts and pants do a great job of helping regulate body temperature. And as odd as it sounds a hat. A lot of heat is lost through the head. So a baseball cap, one of the knit caps either would help. A scarf draped around or over the back of the neck would also help. (Turtleneck shirts are great but they are terrible to get on and off unless you can find one with a zipper neck) There are some medications that can also cause a person to feel cold. My sister is on a BP med and she always feels cold, a friend is on a blood thinner and she is always cold. (In the winter I have to turn my heat up when either comes over)
Have you discussed this with a physician. It also sounds like a circulation problem. Perhaps there is a medical intervention that would help to keep him warm. Many warming devices can burn the delicate skin of the elderly so I would avoid those.
Often elders barely move and so they get cold in what we would consider 'room temperature'. My mom is freezing all the time, but I am positive she walks less than 500 steps in a day. She wakes up cold and is cold all day. She dresses in layers and has a hot water bottle handy all the time. She also has some room heaters, which make me nervous, as she is a bit of a hoarder...but the apartment in YB's house has baseboard heaters and they are not going to raise the temp of a 3000sf home for the 800sf she lives in.
Blood thinners will also make you feel cold. DH is on them and is freezing all the time. Same thing, if I turn the heat to 78 so he's warm, I'm so hot I'm sweating all day.
He works from home so I put a room heater in the office and shut the door.
He also wears thermal underwear and always has shoes and socks on.
Keeping someone from getting too cold is a challenge. Once chilled, it is very hard to bring up the core temperature!
Make sure his clothing isn't synthetic; it doesn't hold heat like natural fabrics do. Dressing in layers helps as well. During winter I often wear a t-shirt underneath a sweat shirt, or 2 sweat shirts.
I also bought hunting socks, which rise to the knee. They're thick, but really, really warm, the kind I bought being double knit. I haven't checked out hunting gloves, but I think mittens would be more appropriate. You might contact Cabelo's or other sports stores to ask what hunting gear they have. I once began a set of quilted mittens, with about 1" of batting between fabric. (I never got around to finishing them though.)
Do you knit or crochet? If so, you can make coverings for his head, hands and other areas subject to cold. Use 2 strands of yarn instead of one, and use good quality yarn.
The popular fleece blankets are also warm, but they're not made to cover as well as a blanket would. Two overlapped would help.
Warm liquids and soup can help as well, as can smaller meals eaten more frequently. As I'm going through the old aging process, I was surprised to experience how much warmer I was just after eating. It was very noticeable.
In my private duty nursing days, it wasn’t always possible to adjust thermostats and have heaters near my patients. I had worked in surgery/recovery unit where we had a blanket warmer. So, in home settings, I often followed suit and placed blankets in the clothes dryer. Of course, you may want to wait a minute or so after taking blanket out of a really hot dryer, so as not to burn the patient. But your patients will LOVE being wrapped in the cozy warmth!!!
Here's a full length heating pad that I found on Amazon. There may be others. I would suggest putting it in his chair and he can sit on it. My wife is cold all the time, also. No matter what the thermostat is set at. But she does fine with having a throw blanket over the top of her. Copy the link below and paste it in your browser.
I bought a hand warmer for my Dad from Tractor Supply. Looks like an old fashioned muff and runs on batteries. Really made a difference. Also any socks, scarves or vests made from Alpaca wool. Expensive but wonderfully warm.
Amazon sells fleece lined slippers and gloves, and also warming gloves. I agree about wearing a warm cap on the head and other fleece clothing items. Teach your dad to "layer", so that if he gets too warm, he can take off the warm stuff and still have clothes on underneath.
Several layers are always better than 1 thick layer. Look for flannel, polar fleece, and quilted items of clothing, Consider also getting him a lap blanket. A knit cap for his head will help. If this doesn't work, please have his doctor check him for circulatory issues.
I don't understand why some people are always cold - I think it is in their brain, not the body. However, I learned something from long ago. I had a lovely home and converted the basement into an art studio and office. To heat it cost a fortune and yet I did not want to freeze. I took a large Sunbeam heating pad and laid it across my legs while I was working. Within minutes with the heat on just a bit, I was so comfortable and warm and at peace, it was a miracle - I needed only half of the high priced heat to keep the room comfortable. Ever since then, to economize if I am just sitting and reading or doing something similar, I have a heating pad available - it is wonderful bliss. No more freezing - and I'd put a hat on him too.
One of the most simple things is a knit cap, believe it or not. The head covering helps enormously with the loss of body heat some people suffer. As a Nurse practicing in San Francisco I cared for many patients who were of Asian background and ethnicity; their elders often were very slender with little body fat, and were chronically cold in hospital settings. Without exception, on any given night, every patient I had might be covered in a knit cap of some time. There are excellent fleece caps as well. If your Dad is able to think of putting on on, or you have a bulletin board in his room, you might place a reminder. Other than that, cozy knit sweaters that the staff understands should be worn for his comfort. Hope you find something that works.
I put an electric blanket over my mom's chair and she sits on it. Then I cover her with another blanket. She lives with me, so I can make sure she's safe and I check it to make sure it's off after she goes to bed.
DDD, sitting on anything electric with wires that need to be unhampered can be dangerous, as others have noted. Other than commercial application, such as heated seats in vehicles, wires are not made to be sat on, nor are heating pads. And an older person might not realize if heat is too hot, and/or if the wires become damaged.
Another issue with electric pads is power failure. As we continue to progress in climate change, the possibility exists of more severe weather, and more power failures.
I've found the fleece blankets to be very warm, but they're not long enough for a real blanket. They could work as lap warmers though, and they're not electrified. There are also blanket warmers that are like big cocoons, with slaps for the arms. They are warm, but the arm enclosures are so loose that cold air can still get in.
If you know any quilters, or are one, consider that. I made flannel quilts for my parents, and flannel duvets to enclose the quilts. They used them in their travels and during cold winters when they did stay here.
One way to double the value of a quilt is to make a large duvet that can encompass 2 quilts. It's kind of awkward to maneuver, but once both quilts are inside, it will be very warm.
Some electric blankets can be sat upon; but a massage table heating pad is made to go underneath a body, is safe and easy to regulate temperature, can be programmed for a certain level of heat and duration of heating before it shuts itself off. And I agree that wearing a hat, even a very lightweight 'beret' or knit cap will help contain body heat. Sprinkling cayenne pepper into shoes before sock-covered foot goes in helps warm the feet too! Fingerless gloves might help keep hands warm and fingers flexible. Silk longjohns/undershirts are very lightweight but can really keep a body warm as well, even to sleep in (won't tangle in bedclothes the way pajamas can.)
I work in an office that is cold 24/7 and I freeze daily. Does your father take vitamin D? if not you might want to see if his thyroid is off and see if he needs a supplement.
There are things called Bed Buddies. You can get them at Walgreens. They are filled with oats or beans or something. You heat them up in the microwave. Mom sleeps with them and also heats them up in the day when she sits in her chair.
ELewis: Imho, an elder can always wear a sweater or even a jacket indoors. I am not an advocate of anything with wires such as a heating pad because they are a HUGE trip hazard.
I should have thought of this when I read “assisted living”. I believe there is NO FACILITY that would allow anything like an electric heating pad/blanket without special permission, (and probably not even then) due to safety issues! I agree that warm, thermal shirts and pants under his clothing, hunting socks and maybe warm booties for his feet would help (along with warm blankets on the bed). Sometimes people make nice, warm lap robes that help when patient is sitting. Stocking caps are warm for the head too!
When people are always cold, there are some simple solutions so why don't more people do this? First, get an electric blanket for the nights - it is wonderful once set. I have one and would never, ever give it up. It keeps me warm (my body) when the room is cold because I need a cold room to sleep in and so I can breathe better but the warm blanket keeps me warm and eases my pain. But here is the most simple solution yet. Most old people sit in one place - they aren't moving here to there and going all day. When they sit down, lay a warm heating pad on their laps. They will be warm and comfortable within minutes and love the warm feeling. I do this all the time and when I lived at home, it sure cut down on the electric bills too.
My mom with a thyroid problem also had cold feet during her last years. A heating pad turned on low placed in the foot area when one is sitting or in bed seemed to help a lot. Make very sure you do not get the heating pad too warm and in contact with the person as it is VERY easy to burn someone before you or they even know the heat is burning them (I have burned myself this way treating sinus problems). I placed the heating pad on low under my mom's blanket with her feet on top of them. When I would pull the blanket covering her feet back to check, her feet and the blankets around her feet would be as warm as the blankets near her thighs. There are several products on Amazon, search by "foot warmer for bed".
We used a small ceramic heater in the room near her because it is safer than a coil radiant heater; it's cooler to the touch and more difficult for anything to come into direct contact with the heating element; many of them include a safety device to turn them off if it gets tipped over.
If you use multiple layers of socks or a thicker sock, be sure the shoes are still loose. If the shoes are even slightly tight, the feet will actually be colder than with thinner socks and a looser fit.
Fingerless gloves (where the fingertips are open) helped Mom in the house during winter. She would tolerate the fingerless gloves when she didn't like wearing full/normal gloves.
Serving food and drinks at least room temperature when he is feeling cold may help too. If you're already cool, the cooler temperature of anything you ingest affects you more. That being said, I did serve Mom's soup and coffee at a cooler temperature when she became more feeble. I was afraid if she spilled it, she might be unable to get away from the hot liquid in her lap and be burned.
Hope some of this helps.
A hot pack heated in microwave and wrapped in a pillowcase or thin towel is ok as the heat will steadily decrease over time.
If using anything electric, be sure it has an automatic timer to turn it off.
The point about hot foods is a good one...even when it looks like nothing was damaged, 24 hours later you can see the burn when it blisters out.
And as odd as it sounds a hat.
A lot of heat is lost through the head. So a baseball cap, one of the knit caps either would help.
A scarf draped around or over the back of the neck would also help. (Turtleneck shirts are great but they are terrible to get on and off unless you can find one with a zipper neck)
There are some medications that can also cause a person to feel cold. My sister is on a BP med and she always feels cold, a friend is on a blood thinner and she is always cold. (In the winter I have to turn my heat up when either comes over)
On my sofa - under my polar fleece throw rug, wearing my polar fleece hat.
If I get cold, it's hard to warm up again! (Better to keep the heat I have).
Vitamin D & getting some actual sunshine on my skin seems to help too.
Blood thinners will also make you feel cold. DH is on them and is freezing all the time. Same thing, if I turn the heat to 78 so he's warm, I'm so hot I'm sweating all day.
He works from home so I put a room heater in the office and shut the door.
He also wears thermal underwear and always has shoes and socks on.
Keeping someone from getting too cold is a challenge. Once chilled, it is very hard to bring up the core temperature!
I also bought hunting socks, which rise to the knee. They're thick, but really, really warm, the kind I bought being double knit. I haven't checked out hunting gloves, but I think mittens would be more appropriate. You might contact Cabelo's or other sports stores to ask what hunting gear they have. I once began a set of quilted mittens, with about 1" of batting between fabric. (I never got around to finishing them though.)
Do you knit or crochet? If so, you can make coverings for his head, hands and other areas subject to cold. Use 2 strands of yarn instead of one, and use good quality yarn.
The popular fleece blankets are also warm, but they're not made to cover as well as a blanket would. Two overlapped would help.
Warm liquids and soup can help as well, as can smaller meals eaten more frequently. As I'm going through the old aging process, I was surprised to experience how much warmer I was just after eating. It was very noticeable.
My wife is cold all the time, also. No matter what the thermostat is set at. But she does fine with having a throw blanket over the top of her.
Copy the link below and paste it in your browser.
https://www.amazon.com/Ambershine-45cmx85cm-Fast-Heating-Technology-Temperature/dp/B08C9LB1LY/ref=sxin_13_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?crid=2DF10HXTH7E23&cv_ct_cx=full+length+heating+pad+for+bed&dchild=1&keywords=full+length+heating+pad+for+bed&pd_rd_i=B08C9LB1LY&pd_rd_r=60ace280-f554-41fd-9fb5-620c89b65025&pd_rd_w=u1boF&pd_rd_wg=GdOVm&pf_rd_p=f21da57e-06e4-46a5-9148-e2dea2e78384&pf_rd_r=VQB63YAAQRKYFJFJWMZ1&qid=1634036235&sprefix=full+length+hearing%2Caps%2C500&sr=1-4-a73d1c8c-2fd2-4f19-aa41-2df022bcb241-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFCQVdTWjUyQjY5WkQmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MzAxODEyWlFMRldST1ZGWlZXJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2OTQyNjUxTUgzTktHWFhDMFcxJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Look in the camping and outdoor wear sections of your favorite stores or websites.
Another issue with electric pads is power failure. As we continue to progress in climate change, the possibility exists of more severe weather, and more power failures.
I've found the fleece blankets to be very warm, but they're not long enough for a real blanket. They could work as lap warmers though, and they're not electrified. There are also blanket warmers that are like big cocoons, with slaps for the arms. They are warm, but the arm enclosures are so loose that cold air can still get in.
If you know any quilters, or are one, consider that. I made flannel quilts for my parents, and flannel duvets to enclose the quilts. They used them in their travels and during cold winters when they did stay here.
One way to double the value of a quilt is to make a large duvet that can encompass 2 quilts. It's kind of awkward to maneuver, but once both quilts are inside, it will be very warm.
I have a "slanket" . I have even taken it with me for hospital stays. It is the only thing that warms me up.
https://www.amazon.com/Slanket-Ultimate-Original-Blanket-Sleeves/dp/B00I4SZ3ES/ref=asc_df_B00I4SZ3ES/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309761074450&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18046213363756589282&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012403&hvtargid=pla-643599304799&ref=&adgrpid=61290892923&th=1
Regarding something safe to sit on:
My daughter lives in Buffalo. She recently requested this for her office chair. Maybe it would work on your Dad's easy chair?:
https://www.amazon.com/Slanket-Ultimate-Original-Blanket-Sleeves/dp/B00I4SZ3ES/ref=asc_df_B00I4SZ3ES/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309761074450&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18046213363756589282&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012403&hvtargid=pla-643599304799&ref=&adgrpid=61290892923&th=1