Northwest Ohio summers often bring soaring temperatures that can present serious health risks to area residents. Owing to a variety of factors, such as age-related physiological changes, chronic health conditions, and medications that can impair the body’s ability to regulate temperature, older adults are especially vulnerable to extreme heat. It’s essential for all of us to take proactive steps to ensure our senior loved ones stay safe and comfortable whenever summer temperatures skyrocket.
Here are some measures to keep in mind as the mercury rises:
Help them stay hydrated Ensuring they stay properly hydrated is among the most effective ways to protect seniors from summer’s heat.
This can be an uphill battle because the aging process tends to reduce the natural thirst sensation, increasing the risk of dehydration. Encourage your senior loved one to drink water regularly, but discourage sugary, caffeinated, or alcoholic beverages, which contribute to dehydration. If they don’t care for plain water, consider infusing it with fruit slices or adding a low-sugar electrolyte mix to make it more appealing. A pro tip is to fill a bottle of water that your senior loved one can keep close at hand and sip from throughout the day.
Keep them cool
Along with proper hydration, it’s essential for seniors to have access to a cool living environment during the hot summer months.Running the air conditioning is an obvious solution, but not all seniors have it in their homes. Running a fan can help somewhat, but fans tend to become less effective as the air temperature rises. If AC is unavailable, it may be necessary for your senior loved one to seek safe haven from the heat at a community cooling center—often located in senior centers, churches, or other local facilities.
Other steps seniors can take to stay cool include wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothes made of breathable fabrics, as well as keeping the curtains or blinds closed during the day to block the intense daytime sun and then opening the windows at night when the temperature drops.
Learn the signs of heat-related illnesses Heat-related illness occurs in stages and becomes increasingly more dangerous to the victim as it progresses. It’s also important to note that, while anyone can succumb to heat-related illness, the elderly and very young are especially susceptible. Caregivers/ family members should check in on their senior loved one frequently, especially during heat advisories, and keep an eye out for:
Heat exhaustion
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the potential symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating; cold, pale, and clammy skin; a fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; tiredness or weakness; dizziness; headache; and fainting.
If heat exhaustion is suspected, you should:
• Move the person to a cool place.
• Loosen their clothes.
• Put cool, wet cloths on their body or place them in a cool bath.
• Get them to sip water.
• Get medical help right away if the individual is throwing up, symptoms worsen, or symptoms last longer than an hour.
Heat stroke
The most dangerous stage of heat-related illness is heat stroke, also known as sunstroke. Symptoms to look for include a high body temperature (103°F or higher); hot, red, dry, or damp skin; a fast, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and loss of consciousness.
In the event of heat stroke, the CDC advises:
• Call 911 right away—heat stroke is a medical emergency.
• Move the person to a cooler place.
• Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath.
• Do not give the person anything to drink.
Chronic health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes can put seniors at increased risk from heat stress—as can medications that impair sweating or increase dehydration, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, or antihistamines. Familiarize yourself with your senior loved one’s medication regimen and how it might impact heat safety. It might also be helpful to consult with his or her healthcare providers about ways to adjust routines during periods of peak heat, as well as to establish a “buddy system” of family members, neighbors, or friends to check on the senior ’s wellbeing on a regular basis as an added layer of protection.
Take advantage of community resources In addition to providing the aforementioned cooling centers, there are various community resources that can help seniors stay safe in summer’s heat. For example, different local agencies might supply free fans, perform wellness checks, provide heat-safety education so seniors can learn how to keep themselves safe, or simply prevent the social isolation that tends to exacerbate heat risk for seniors. Take advantage of them!
Summer’s soaring heat can present a complicated set of risks to older adults, but by encouraging proper hydration, keeping them cool, learning how to recognize the warning signs of heat-related illness, monitoring their health and medications vigilantly, and taking advantage of community support systems, we can help keep our senior loved ones safe and comfortable until cool weather returns. ✲
