Summers can be brutal when it comes to heat, and no one feels this more than senior citizens. Instead of feeling lethargic and tired, the intense heat of summer can be deadly for older folks. If you have an older loved one that lives alone, make sure that you are checking on them often, ensuring that they have plenty of things to drink in their fridge, and that they have adequate cooling systems in their home, whether it be fans or air conditioners.
Older adults are at a higher risk of hyperthermia than others. This, combined with individual lifestyles and health conditions, can make heat that we might feel to be bearable deadly for them. This is another example of how health needs change as people age.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible for you to spend every waking second with your older family members. This is where in-home caregivers provide so much value. A professional caregiver can make sure that you mom or dad is not getting too hot, in addition to a number of tasks. Oftentimes, it’s not the heat itself that’s the problem, but the fact that chores need to be done in the heat. This is another area that caregivers excel within. They are there to provide companionship, but they also can do little tasks around the house, like preparing meals, folding laundry, and taking the garbage out. Doing these things when it’s hot out saves the elderly a lot of stress, and could even save their lives. When you are older, the heat affects you more because of decreased immune system efficacy and an increased difficulty in retaining fluid. Having someone else doing the work for them will help them to stay healthier.
Besides staying cool, drinking enough fluids is the best way to prevent heat related complications. A lot of people are naturally dehydrated as they age, and then issues with using the bathroom can aggravate this even more. There’s a perception that as you age, you need to go to the bathroom more, and in some cases, this is true. However, needing to get up to use the toilet more often doesn’t mean that liquids are not vital. Just as we wouldn’t skip getting a glass of water or a sports drink if we were thirsty, we need to make sure that our parents and grandparents get plenty of liquids. If they need to use the restroom more often, that’s a small price to pay for keeping themselves ahead of the heat. If help is necessary getting into and out of the bathroom, a caregiver can help here as this is one of the things that they are trained to do.
If you worry about a loved one in the heat, make sure they have someone watching them. It can be you, another family member, or a professional. Just make sure that they are safe and taking the right precautions to continue that safety. And if you can’t monitor them yourself, make sure that arrangements are made for someone to help them out while you are unable to.
Leave a Reply