Have You Fallen by the Winter Wayside?

How many of us are falling at the wayside with winter ailments? I know I am, which is  unlike me. I tend to be very healthy, and apart from a mild dose of Covid in May, my health status has been good.

However, I seem to have joined the group of people who have been suffering from vague respiratory issues. Nothing too drastic requiring any sort of medical intervention, but just being aware of a cough and intermittent sore throat.

My answer is to have regular gargles with either salt and warm water or water to which I add a few drops of tea tree oil. Many people swear by honey, lemon and ginger. Each of these natural ingredients are powerful in their own right and  have so many health uses.

I walk as much as possible in order to be in the fresh air. 

My house is certainly not overheated, as I am being very economical with energy consumption, but I am comfortable enough and thankfully my health problems have not deteriorated.

It begs the question as to why so many people, including children are experiencing similar symptoms?

One theory is that children`s immunity has not built up due to the long spell of Covid when they were absent from school and they are now very vulnerable to picking up infections.

Other theories such as it being linked to Covid as a sub  virus are also being considered.

I am lucky, my overall health is good and I am in the fortunate position  of  having a comfortable home and feel able to manage any symptoms that I have had to date.

However many people are not so lucky. It is becoming clear that due to the high cost of living, many simply cannot afford to heat homes or eat properly. 

Elderly people in particular fall very much into this category. Often  with poor housing, financial constraints, lack of support and loneliness and a genuine fear that they may not make it through the winter. Sadly some will not.

Many will contract this current respiratory infection to name but one, and due to their compromised immune systems, and lack of adequate financial and health support may just quietly fade away.

No matter which political persuasion we belong to, if any, this is a scandalous  state of affairs in 2022.

On the one hand we have technology which can do the most amazing things, but we cannot look after our most vulnerable.

Everyone ages so it is in the country`s interest to have a system in place where people of a certain age and health status are not afraid of the future.

It is not just the failure of the government and statutory services, but families too are often forgetful of their elderly relatives  in the pursuit of greener pastures   and dealing with problems of their own.

The UK is not viewed favourably by many countries which see the lack of care and respect  offered  to the elderly as shameful.

Many post war parents sacrificed much in order to encourage their children to become educated and find a better way of life than they had experienced.

It is a natural thing for parents to do, but it should also have built in respect and consideration  if the parents are seen to need care and support.

Some elderly people are assumed to be  "baby boomers" and many are indeed in this category as undoubtedly they  did very well in life due to the sacrifices of their parents and also being fortunate in following successful career paths.

However, not all were so lucky. Many women in particular did not join the work force as opted to stay at home and look after family. They  are now paying the price as they may not fully qualify for a  full state pension or have any sort of financial investment on which to live.

The media is telling everyone to be "kind" which is a commendable suggestion.

We are encouraged to have a visual image of what we want in life and how to achieve it, again a positive suggestion.

Perhaps we should just move the dial on a little and picture  how we would like to see ourselves  in  old age,  and take steps to make provision for that too.

There is an opportunity for everyone of all ages to take that image on board and stop treating our elderly and infirm as non contributing members of society who don`t matter and even considered by some to be dispensable.

We must all learn from this and make sure that by next winter, our elderly and frail don`t fear dying from cold, rejection  and neglect.