Seniors are more susceptible to heat stroke than other populations. That’s a big concern if your senior parent lives in an area where the summers are getting warmer every year. Heat stroke can happen fast and it can cause serious medical issues or even death. Seniors and their families should take the threat of heat-related illness very seriously. Even seniors who have air conditioning at home can suffer from heat stroke if they have window air conditioning units or mini-splits and not central air. If you are want to minimize the risk of heat stroke for your senior loved one you should:
Get Home Care Assistance
Home care assistance can be a lifeline for seniors during extreme weather. When you can’t be with your senior loved one because you need to work, be at school, or take care of your kids home care assistance ensures that someone will be there to help your senior parent with whatever they need. Home care assistance includes a range of things like housecleaning, meal preparation, and pet care. But it also means that someone will be making sure that your senior loved one isn’t getting too hot and is taking it easy when it’s dangerously warm outside.
Invest In Blackout Curtains For All The Windows
Blackout curtains are a fantastic investment for a senior’s home. During the winter they can keep out drafts and cold air. But during the summer they can block the most intense rays of the sun and keep out the heat. Putting blackout curtains on the windows in your senior parent’s house can drop the temperature inside the house by several degrees and help lower the risk that your senior parent will have heat stroke.
Make Sure Your Senior Parent Drinks Water
Drinking water is something that seniors should be doing anyway. But when the weather is particularly warm seniors need to drink even more water. A home care provider can encourage your senior parent to drink more water by offering cold water at least once an hour. They can also make delicious fruit infused waters, iced teas, and other cool drinks that may get your senior loved one to drink more and stay hydrated during hot summer days.
Make Sure Your Senior Parent Has Appropriate Clothing
It may be time to go through your senior parent’s summer wardrobe and make sure that the clothes are appropriate for hot weather. Shorts, capri pants, light tops made from cotton or linen, and lightweight socks are all essentials for seniors in the summer. If your senior loved one needs help getting dressed or with bathing during the summer, personal care at home services can help them cool off with a shower or make sure they are dressed appropriately for the summer weather. If your senior loved one has summer clothes they no longer wear, donating them is a thoughtful way to make room for some new summer clothes for your senior parent.
If you or an aging loved one needs Home Care Assistance in Carmichael, CA, contact A Better living Home Care today (916) 514-7006
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/older-adults-heat.html
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