What temp should the thermostat be set at in winter for my 75-year-old mom?

I keep our thermostat set at 76 and adjust it one or two degrees up or down as the weather changes, including the humidity. I am at home and I wear what I want as does the wife. Which is usually very little. I pay the bill and we have no visitors to satisfy. Never could really adjust to sleeping in PJ's.

71 to 72 degrees F if its below 32 then raise to 72-73

74 is to high even for a older person. 70 is a good temp. In my opinion!

As some said, warm socks will help. The reason we get cold as we get older is because 1) we lose our subcutaneous layer of fat, 2) our blood becomes thin because we are not eating enough protein and calories in general, and of lack of exercise, 3) our skin becomes thin due to aging skin cells and not enough subcutaneous layer of fat!

Being cold all the time can be cause by a number of things, normal aging, heart problems, anemia, medications and some treatments for cancer. I would talk to her Dr if you have any concerns.

I keep my temp at 69! My mother has flannel pjs and warm fuzzy socks and she seem fine! Although everybody is different on what they feel comfortable at.

But MIL should have some say at what the thrermostat is set at. Maybe find a common ground!

Woolen head covering and woolen socks help in winter for us seniors. That said, in the daytime I always turn my thermostat up a tad. But wool is king.

Now 68 is good if someone is doing housework, running up and down the stairs with laundry, doing cooking, remodeling, etc..... but 68 is just too chilly for anyone who isn't active, or anyone working in front of a computer all day.

I use to grumble about germs at my parent's house, but they had the heat jacked up to 82-85. Mom was still dressed like she was on her way to the North Pole, and Dad was dressed like he was ready for a swim at the beach. It was like walking into a huge hot flash :P

One thing I did learn about keeping warm, tuck in that shirt into one's pants... it makes a huge difference. Even with pj's at night, tuck in the top. And like MargaretMcKen had posted, bed socks.

I had thermostat wars at work until I found if I closed the air vents in my office it helped in winter, and I made sure the air vents were opened in my boss' office. He likes it toasty, while I prefer a frost coating. Vise versa in the summer.

68 is cold for the elderly, they like it warm. If this is her home and she can afford a high heating bill put the temp up. I have an automatic timer for the temp. 11pm it goes down to 66 and at 8am back up to 70.

Ah, the thermostat wars!! I had to chuckle at your SIL's assertion that germs will grow above 68°, germs proliferate at temps between 40° and 140° and nobody can live in the safe zones above and below that.

It may be a good idea to ask which parts of her body feel cold, as well as raising the thermostat temperature. Many people feel the cold on their feet and around their shoulders (I do myself!). A poncho is really good for keeping the shoulders warm, and bed socks or furry boots are good for the feet. The head also loses a lot of heat - to quote the Night Before Christmas, ‘I in my kerchief and Mama in her cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap’. Warming up the coldest bits is a good idea, particularly if raising the temperature then makes her core body feel a bit too hot.

Yes, absolutely. As we age our skin thins so get cold more often that those youngers. My mom and stepdad had to have thermostat at 78 often. Yes, I would get hot, but it is easier to remove clothing layers than it is to find how much clothing will keep folks warm.