I was thinking about the old people this morning because of the snow.
I was thinking that if they don't like driving at more than 2 miles per hour because the roads are a bit wet they should BLOODY WELL STAY AT HOME!
For about 2 mins
Then turn tele up , turn the heating up and read about them in the papers the next day.
Cant remember If I have made my annual call to my mum, for safety will leave it till next year.
Where did the modern winter of 10c rain and mild mush go ?
I was thinking about the old people this morning because of the snow.
I was thinking that if they don't like driving at more than 2 miles per hour because the roads are a bit wet they should BLOODY WELL STAY AT HOME!
One thing you should remember about old people is that they're the ones with the survival instinct. Those with a death-wish probably had their wishes fulfilled at you younger age
Me? I'm on the cusp of old age at 54 - probably driving a bit too fast in these conditions, GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU OLD GIT!!
and trust you're tucked up at home under your tartan blanket with a flask of bovril?
I don't want to do death-wish speeds Andy, more than 5mph would be nice though
The point is that on Saturday I was trying to get to Norfolk and conditions on the A11 were so bad that I had 20 feet visibility, wheels slipping and snow drifting in front of me, so instead of crawling along feeling totally unsafe, I turned around and went home!
If it doesn't feel safe to be driving, stay at home, don't block the roads up by driving at 5 mph to go and collect your pension!
MODERATOR AT YOUR SERVICE
"If you're going to do something tonight, that you know you'll be sorry for in the morning, plan a lie in." Lorraine
Can I just say, for Gav to be complaining about old folk driving slowly, they must have been absolutely crawling along at a snails pace, because being in a car with Gav driving, feels like being Miss Daisy.
Anyway, back to the old folk freezing to death. They can claim up to £400 winter fuel allowance (at the moment). You could use that money to book a flight to Malta, stay there for the winter duration and use your weekly pension for beer and bingo money. That's what I'm gonna do when I'm a pensioner anyway.
Last edited by Double Trouble; 30th-November-2010 at 03:09 PM.
Apparently nine pensioners per hour died of fuel poverty last winter.
Shocking really!
Meanwhile, 65000 expat pensioners in chilly countries like Spain, Greece and Portugal are receiving £400 a year in winter fuel allowances because they happened to be eligible for the allowance when it was first set up.
No, they didn't.
This is simply a typical Daily Fail trick of taking two unconnected factors, and presenting one as a cause of the other. It's their typical "XYZ causes / cures cancer" story, that they seem to run every other week.
In fact, even in that article, you'll find that:
Simply, brutally, put, old people are more likely to die in winter. That's because it's bleedin' cold. They're not - by and large - dying through fuel poverty, they're dying because they get ill and don't recoverWhile the UK death rate is high, the total was down by around 30 per cent compared with 2008/9
This article is simply part of a pressure campaign to preserve winter fuel payments; it's simply a political story, nothing more.
Oh, and don't quote Daily Mail articles as if they're anything more than hysterical nonsense written for a third-rate rag with a history of supporting fascism.
I couldn't live without my Daily Mail and the family of 13 on welfare etc.
You know the 19yr old dad in love with the women of 43 who has had 12 kids from 5 other men. How the hell they going to cope without £100,000 a year hand outs ??.
However its news to me old people die ???
Anyway not much snow here and its bloody freezing . If its going to be freezing lets have some snow.
Another rant saw a little old lady fall on the ice yesterday, but it was ok I managed to swerve around her.
Oh dear! Before I'd even posted I wondered if someone would take issue with quotations from the Dailymail. Similar versions of both of the stories I posted can be found in various other locations.
Perhaps we should listen to the views of AgeUK on this matter. Oh no! Better not, they've obviously got an agenda.
Is the BMJ on your approved list, or do they also publish 'hysterical nonsense' on the subject of fuel poverty?
I regularly read quite a few of the on-line papers, Guardian, Dailymail, Telegraph, Independent, and I used to read The Times until they put up a paywall. Occasionally I also read 'The Sun Says' column if I want to know how a particular piece of news is being spun to the readers of the UKs biggest daily paper. I think it's the best way to get a balanced view of what's going on. I'm well aware of the Dailymails views on Immigration, Muslims etc. etc. Does that mean I shouldn't read anything they publish?
Simply, brutally, put, you sound remarkably accepting of the fact that many old people needlessly die each year due to fuel poverty. Of those that are admitted to hospital, we then spend a small fortune helping them recover. Far better to spend a little to make sure they are kept warm so that they will be less susceptible to illnesses such as pneumonia. Of course, from a purely financial perspective, the cheapest option is to give them nothing and let them die, then the only expense is disposal of the body (but only if they have no relatives). But what kind of person would advocate treating our elders like that?
Anyway, I don't really have time for this. I'm very busy with work, and I'm also quite involved on a different forum at the moment.
Last edited by Bubble; 2nd-December-2010 at 05:56 PM. Reason: Removed duplicated URL
Read this and weep!
And judging by the URL above you're definately not the only one!
Bubble, you do realise that some of the links you posted were for the previous year?
If AgeUK don't have an agenda, then they're not doing their job properly.
That doesn't mean they're wrong, it simply means that their motivations need to be taken into account when they issue a press release. In the same way as if my motivations would need to be taken into account if I issued a press release promoting my own classes.
(Which are, by the way, brilliant.)
The link is firewalled, so I don't know.
Actually, yes.
Or, at the least, you should consider the source.
You've not provided any evidence that fuel poverty is causing many old people to die needlessly.
Simply, brutally put, you're talking rubbish.
I don't know, I'm still waiting for you to provide some of this stuff, what's it called again? Begins with "Evi", ends with "dence"... Anyone?
So why start the debate in the first place? This is not a letters column, it's a bleedin' discussion forum. If you don't want to discuss stuff, then don't. Just don't expect us to accept your word for stuff without evidence.
(Ah, yes, that was the word I was looking for)
Yes, I do.
Sorry, I didn't realise that article was only available to subscribers.
I usually take stuff from the Dailymail with a pinch of salt, the articles on Fuel Poverty seemed reasonable so I posted them because stewart38 wanted to discuss old people and cold weather.
Do you think the world would be a better place without the Dailymail? If so then you're wrong.
This will do. Although I don't suppose you'll be able to read it unless you buy a subscription.
Here's the reference for it:
Journal Epidemiol Community Health 2003;57:784-789
Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk factors
And here's the conclusions:
'Conclusions: High seasonal mortality in southern and western Europe could be reduced through improved protection from the cold indoors, increased public spending on health care, and improved socioeconomic circumstances resulting in more equitable income distribution.'
In case you're wondering, in that study the UK is considered to be in Western Europe.
Quite true.
Her was an absolute gem. Although in her case I'd suggest people are voting for entertainment value rather than talent.
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