My Mum now complains that she is "cold" all of the time. What is this a sign of?

Question

My Mum now complains that she is "cold" all of the time. What is this a sign of?

Follow

Share

The house is perfectly heated and she is fully clothed. Her hands are a bit "cool". She is almost ninety with a menu of issues including encroaching dementia and balance as per her primary Doc.Otherwise she does pretty well given her age with some days better than others.

Senior Health

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.

11 Answers

Most
Helpful Newest
First Oldest
First

As people age, typically the circulation in their extremities (arms and legs) diminishes and they feel cold. Anytime you go to a senior living center, you'll see people dressed far more warmly than younger people, because the seniors are cold. They'll wear sweaters when it's hot and humid outside.

My mom (who's close to 95) always wears a camisole (or undershirt as we used to call them), in addition to whatever blouse/sweater she has on. And in the winter, she'll wear long-john type undergarments under her slacks. You could also consider a heating pad or even an electric blanket, if your mom doesn't have incontinence problems. Sometimes when I've been working out and have a chill, I'll put the heating pad on low on my thighs and it warms me right up.

Low thyroid is another cause of being cold, so be sure to get that checked. My mom's thyroid quit working about two years ago and once we got her on thyroid meds and got the dose regulated, she had more energy.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

As far as I can see, it is a symptom of age. :) Discuss this with her doctor, but if there is no medically treatable problem, just treat the coldness. Turning up the thermostat to her likes would probably drive you out of the house, but you could use a small space heater near where she sits. My mother keeps a lap blanket over her legs nearly all the time. We have a sign on her closet door in the nh that she is to wear a cardigan every day. We have also found a nifty pair of long fingerless mittens that only have a slot for the thumb. They have rhinestones and she thinks they are glamorous. Others have mentioned thermal underwear. Older people tend to remember and like hot water bottles.

Lots of ways to help Mom feel comfortable, once her doctor rules out treatable causes.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

As I mentioned above about my Mom and being cold, my Dad [92] is the opposite. Mom will have on her thermo undershirt, a knit long sleeve shirt, and a sweater over that, plus long pants, knee socks, shoes, and a scarf around her neck. Then there is Dad, wearing shorts, sleeveless undershirt, and barefoot.

I can't blame Mom for her being so cold, it's not her fault, but I just wished she would compromise with Dad to a more reasonable temp setting because that heat makes Dad feel so sleepy. But then there is that old saying "happy wife, happy life".

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

Freqflyer your answer made me laugh! I would be like your dad. When I go to my mom's place, I'm always dying of the heat. She's perfectly comfortable when it's 91 degrees in her place (in the summer) and I'm turning on the A/C. At least when you're cold, you can put on more clothes. When you're hot, there's not much you can do except A/C. It IS too bad they don't compromise somewhere in the middle.

Helpful Answer (2)

Report

Does your Mom take pills for thyroid? If so, the pills tend to make some feel cold. My Mom who is 97 has that issue, their house is like a sauna because the heat is up so high.

One way to feel warmer is to tuck one's shirt inside one's slacks... makes a world of difference in keeping warmer. Do the same with pajamas.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

BTW, for both my husband and my mother, feeling cold was a physical stress for them and typically made their dementia symptoms worse. I tried very hard to avoid that.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

When I would walk into mom's IL apartment and find her with the a/c iff, the windows open and the thermometer reading 92, I got her doctor to tell her (truthfully) that sitting in that sort of heat was very bad for her bp. She wears lots of sweaters in the nh now.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

I agree with others that it is part of getting old, probably for most people. My father was inactive and had poor circulation. He was cold all the time, but it wasn't a cold that heating the house would cure. He would crank up the heat, but it didn't help. He wouldn't wear warm clothes or use a blanket. He would just push the thermostat up each time he passed it. It wasn't too bad in winter, because I could stay in my rooms with the vents closed and open the windows if I needed. Summers were the worst.

This reminds me of one of our Christmases. All the family was over to eat dinner. It was so hot that all of us migrated to the back porch to escape the heat. It can indeed be miserable. I should have warned them to wear their shorts.

My mother gets cold now, but at least she'll wear warm clothes and use a blanket. When I think of old age, I picture someone draped in a blanket sitting in front of a blaring TV and the thermostat cranked up to 90. I know it is a future we all might face, so I'm sympathetic.

Helpful Answer (1)

Report

I recommend you get a fingertip pulseoximeter at the drugstore and keep a log of heart rate and O2 saturation. A BP wrist cuff wouldn't be a bad idea either. Take the log with you to MD visits, it really helps.
She could be cold from neuropathy or cold from failing circulation. If she says she is cold and you see the O2 dropping, call the MD.

Helpful Answer (0)

Report

If you're parent is on Coumadin (for circulation/heart problems) it is likely contributing to the cold feeling. Blessings on all of you who care for an aging parent.

My Mum now complains that she is "cold" all of the time. What is this a sign of?

11 Answers

Recent Questions

Popular Questions

Related Questions