Charities Demand Action on Deadly Care Home Heat

Charities, care providers, and MPs have issued a stark warning to the government to implement a Cool Homes Plan for social care, or risk avoidable loss of life next summer.

With 45 per cent of all heat-related excess deaths occurring in care homes last year, campaigners warn that extreme heat is a medical emergency for vulnerable people. 

The Epilepsy Society has joined forces with almost 60 health charities, including Parkinson’s UK, Age UK, and the National Care Forum, cross-party MPs, councillors, and experts to warn that winter is no longer the only life-threatening season. 

“With buildings designed to keep heat in, care homes are becoming heat traps for disabled and older people,” said Clare Pelham, Chief Executive of the Epilepsy Society.

“We rightly have a Warm Homes Plan to protect people from the cold, but summer is fast becoming just as deadly as winter.

“As the clocks go back, the time is ticking on a countdown to another summer of extreme heat. We must act now to keep care cool. By next summer, it will be too late for anything except regret.” 

In an open letter to Rt Hon Yvette Cooper (pictured above), Secretary of State for Health, the coalition calls on the government to:

· Establish a Cool Homes Plan with dedicated grants for essential cooling adaptations. 

· Introduce cooling regulations for all social care settings, backed by CQC inspections.  

· Form a cross-social care sector working group to drive best practice heatwave guidance for all care environments.  

“Over 150,000 people live with MS in the UK, and around 60-80% of them experience heat sensitivity,” said Ceri Smith, Head of Policy and Evidence at the MS Society.

“MS is debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable, and the heat can worsen symptoms like balance, weakness or fatigue, or impact someone’s vision and sensations. These issues can cause discomfort, distress and an increased chance of falls. As heatwaves become more frequent, the risk to people with MS increases.

“It’s vital that everyone with the condition can access care and support in appropriate environments which don’t exacerbate their symptoms.”