Checklist for Caring for Someone Ill at Home

Caring for someone who is ill at home comes down to a short list of things you can get ready before you need them: their medicines and a written record of doses, a thermometer, food and drink they can manage, a first aid kit, and a plan for who to call. Most of the work is ordinary and calm. The skill is in noticing when ordinary illness is turning into something that needs a doctor, and in keeping the person comfortable while you wait.

The two weather extremes matter most. In hot weather, older people, people with long-term conditions and people who live alone are at particular risk, and the aim is to keep them cool and drinking. In cold weather, health advice recommends keeping the home heated to at least 18°C, especially if the person is 65 or over or has a health condition¹. A thermometer in the living room and bedroom lets you check rather than guess².

This page is a checklist first: the supplies and arrangements to have in place, then how to use them when someone is too hot, too cold, or becoming more unwell than you expected. It is written for the carer at home, not for a care home, though the same principles apply.

The checklist: what to have ready before you need it

Work through this list once, when the person is well, and again at the start of a spell of very hot or very cold weather. Each item earns its place because it answers a problem you will otherwise be solving in a hurry.

1. Their medicines, with several days in hand. Government advice for disabled people and carers is to ensure you have enough of the medication you need to keep going for several days⁴. Keep a written list of every regular medicine and its dose, which is also what the Be Ready campaign tells households to record⁷.
2. A thermometer for the room. Place one in the main living room and bedroom so you can check the temperature rather than rely on how it feels².
3. A first aid kit and basic over-the-counter medicines. Painkillers, an upset stomach remedy, antihistamines, plasters and bandages are the staples named in NHS winter guidance⁸. Ask a pharmacist what they recommend keeping at home⁹.
4. Food and drink they will actually take. Keep stocks of food and medicines so they do not need to go out in very cold weather¹⁰. In hot weather, make sure they have enough medication at home so they do not have to travel during the hottest hours¹¹.
5. A household emergency plan with contact numbers. Write down the contacts you would need in an emergency, including anyone who might need checking on, and the medication list⁷.
6. Torch, spare batteries, bottled water and ready-to-eat food. The standard household emergency kit covers the power cut or disruption that arrives at the same time as the illness¹².
7. Spare glasses or contact lenses and toiletries. Small things that become urgent when someone cannot go out¹².
8. A cool room or shaded area in summer, and a warm room in winter. Both are things you arrange in advance, not on the day.

Keeping the person cool in hot weather

Heat is the weather that catches carers out, because a hot day feels harmless. Official guidance is clear that older people, those with underlying conditions and those who live alone may need support to keep cool and hydrated. Older people and people with heart, respiratory and other serious health problems are described as most vulnerable when the temperature starts to rise¹³.

Start with the room. Close windows when the outdoor temperature is higher than indoors, for example during the day, and open them when it is cooler outside³. Ensure adequate ventilation¹⁴. Where you can, keep one room cool enough to retreat to: official guidance for care settings is a cool room or area able to be maintained below 26°C³. Check the temperature with the thermometer rather than by feel².

Then the person. NHS Inform advises a cool shower, bath or wash, sprinkling cool water over the skin or clothing, or a damp cloth on the back of the neck¹⁵. Offer cool drinks regularly. If they have a long-term condition, make sure they have enough medication at home so they do not need to travel during the hottest hours¹¹.

Medicines, symptoms and when to get help

Most minor illness can be managed at home. NHS guidance for winter illness is to keep warm, rest, drink plenty of fluids, have at least one hot meal a day and use over-the-counter medicines for relief¹⁷. Minor illnesses can often be treated at home, and pharmacists can offer advice as well as medication over the counter, while your GP surgery should usually be your first contact¹⁸.

The judgement call is when to escalate. If the person is 65 or over, or in one of the other at-risk groups, it is important to get medical help as soon as they feel unwell, and help is available from a pharmacy, a GP or NHS 111⁶. Do not wait for a cough or cold to become more serious before seeking advice from a pharmacist¹⁰. If you are unsure which service to use, our guide to NHS 111 explains what it can help with, and when to call 111 and when to call 999 sets out the difference.

Keep the medicines list up to date and store medicines safely, away from heat and out of reach of children. Our page on storing medicines safely covers temperature and expiry dates, and the medicine cabinet checklist lists what to keep in.

Cold weather: keeping them warm and fed

Cold is the slower danger. Health advice recommends keeping the home heated to at least 18°C during winter, especially if the person is 65 or over or has a health condition¹. Keep the living room and bedroom warm, and check the temperature with the thermometer².

Practical support matters as much as heating. Check on older neighbours or relatives, especially those living alone or with serious illness, to make sure they are safe, warm and well¹⁰. Make sure they are warm enough, especially at night, and have stocks of food and medicines so they do not need to go out during very cold weather¹⁰. Warm clothing and hot drinks help prevent vulnerable people falling ill⁶. If you know someone who may be struggling, check they have enough food, medicines and heating¹.

Anyone in a high-risk category who lives alone is likely to need at least daily contact during adverse cold weather, whether from care workers, volunteers or informal carers⁵. In Northern Ireland, official guidance says older people living on their own should be visited daily to check they are well².

If someone becomes very cold and drowsy, treat it as an emergency. While waiting for help, if they cannot be moved indoors, find something for them to rest on to protect them from the cold ground, such as a towel or blanket²⁰. For someone in shock, keep them warm by covering their legs and body with coats or blankets and monitor them until help arrives²¹.

Keeping the checklist ready, and knowing who checks on whom

A checklist only works if it is current. Review it at the start of summer and the start of winter, and whenever a medicine changes. The Be Ready campaign's advice is to write down the contact details you would need in an emergency, including anyone who might need checking on, and a list of any regular medication and doses⁷. Keep a copy where a visiting carer or relative can find it.

Agree a backup plan with anyone who might need extra support, particularly if they live alone: for example, that if an outage happens and you cannot call, you or another trusted person they know will visit them⁷. That single arrangement covers power cuts, phone failures and the ordinary day when your call does not get through.

If the person you care for is disabled or has care needs, the government's advice for disabled people and carers is a useful starting point, and our section on extra help in an emergency explains the Priority Services Register and other support. For the wider picture of looking after someone unwell, see looking after someone who is ill at home, and for supplies, the sick at home kit checklist.