How can I keep the house warm and comfortable for dad without making it too hot for us?

This is even a problem in nursing homes. Elders generally get cold easily, and they aren't active. Caregivers are usually younger, and they are running around, so they get hot. There's no easy answer.

Some people like those blankets that have snaps to keep them around their shoulders. I got my mom one, but she'd never use it. They can be balky. Also, you don't want your dad to get up wearing the thing and trip.

Layers help. Silk or synthetic underwear can make a big difference, and that type of uderwear is much less bulky than the old "longjohns" your dad may remember. The question is: will he wear them or think they are for "women"? Anyway, layers would be my suggestion. Any other ideas folks?
Carol

My Mom used to turn up the heat and wear her summer clothing year round. Then she wondered why her heating bills were so high. Her apt. often felt like a steam bath.
I finally convinced her to wear long sleeve tops (even though she thinks that they are too restrictive) and bought her several sweaters in different weights.
I also marked her thermostat with a permanent marker so she could see where a reasonable setting should be.

when u get older and on bp meds , blood s thinner and you do get cold , bone chillin inside and its hard to keep warm ,
i have wood stove going all times and if its not warm enuff i crank the furnace up higher . escsialy inthe mornings when he gets out of bed , he s wet and cold , i crank up the heat and bathroom is very hot . gotta keep my dad warm .
then i would crank the heat down and he be wearing t shirt and flannel shirt and sweat pants and housesleepers . then he go sit in recliner and i d put his fav blanket on him . he never complains im cold ... he s nice and warm .
i know how it is to be cold cuz im cold blooded too . skinney and dont have any fat to keep me warm .

My Mom has her own room and we keep an extra space heater in there so that her bedroom stays warm, that way we can turn the heat down at night without it effecting her. During the day she wears layers and often grabs a blanket to wrap around her shoulders. You might also try heating up a blanket, socks, sweater, etc. in the dryer and giving it to your dad to wear. I do this for my Mom for her showers, and sometimes if she is complaining about being too cold.

I bought my Mom a nice soft electric blanket for Christmas. I finally found something that she loves and actually uses. It was not cheap at $70.00 in Target, but it is a nice one and well worth the money. I am thinking of asking my son to put heat lamps in the ceilings in the bathrooms so she is not cold when she gets out of the bath. She procrastinates taking baths becasue of the cold, so maybe this would be the answer, I will let you know how that works out.

i thought about a electri blanket then quickly change my mind cuz dad wakes up wet , soppy wet .
just use warm pj and socks on and thick blankets .
bathroom time i crank up the furnace and blows warm air on him , when done with bathroom i turn down the heat back .
wears t shirt and sweatshirt & sweat pant and relax on recliner with few blankets on him .
i keep my house at 73 degree or 75 ..plus woodstove burning .

I bought sweatshirts for my Mom--she's 93 and cold all the time, it helps.Now she won't ware anything else.

The temperature on the blanket is adjustable so if my Mom gets too hot she just turns it down. I think it may cost more money to crank the furnance up and then down for a bath because you are now heating up the whole house. If you have any other suggestions please let me know

Thanks,

Maggie

hot water bottles. I often fill REAL juice bottles with hot water and Mom can hold it to get her hands warm. There are large heating pads, the one I have goes off after two hours. There are inexpensive massage pads for chairs, or easy chairs that are heated massage units built in. Mom finds my shiatsu one too hard on her back. I think there is a heated massage pad for bed. Homedics makes all sorts of neat heat/massagers, including ones for the feet. A hot foot bath with bubbles and massage is also welcome. Even when she's cold, she doesn't like water being HOT.

I read that coconut "oil" is good to add to diet to generate internal heat in older folks. There used to be some bad press about these palm oils, but then read that they are some of the best oils for the body. It solidifies at room temp, but not saturated in the damaging was animal fats are.

Hot water bottles are great. I bought mom several, I put them under her feet and bought her some hunting socks. I knit so I make her crazy hats and put them on her. She loves that her hair isn't messy and looks cute, I love them because she seems to stay warmer without burning me up. When she is really cold, I dampen hand towels put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then wrap her feet in them. It seems her feet and head are the main complaints of what is cold.