Elder launches national winter care concerns survey to capture the voice of families

Elder, the UK’s leading care home care platform, has today launched its Winter Care Concerns National Survey, inviting families with elderly loved ones to help capture key insights about their greatest anxieties as winter approaches.

In 2024–25, flu hospitalisations in the UK reached record levels, while Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) remained a significant cause of hospitalisation and death in older adults. The NHS also estimated that 10% of excess winter deaths (EWD) are attributable to fuel poverty and 21.5% to cold homes.

More than two million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, meaning they face increased risks of isolation, illness and injury during winter.

Having facilitated more than 15 million hours of home care, Elder’s survey findings will be used to inform care practices, shape policy advocacy and better support older people to remain safe, warm and connected in their own homes.

Elder Founder and CEO Pete Dowds said the survey would act as a timely reminder to local communities, councils and government about the realities that older adults and their families face in winter.

“We hope this survey sparks a broader conversation about what winter truly feels like for families and their elderly loved ones, many who live alone and unassisted,” he said.

“It’s a reminder that keeping our elders warm, connected and cared for takes a whole-community effort, one that extends far beyond the care sector.”

How to participate
Families can complete the survey via the link here. Contributions will directly feed into Elder’s advocacy, research reports and service improvements for winter care. All answers will remain anonymous.