by Brigid Stakelum
As I write this, my area of Louisville is under a heat advisory until tomorrow night. We know extreme heat can be dangerous for people who are homeless, for example, but what about how extreme heat effects older adults? According to the CDC, older adults are especially prone to suffer under extreme heat because their bodies do not adjust as well to changes in temperature, they are more likely to have health conditions that are exacerbated by the heat, and they are more likely to be taking medication that impacts their ability to regulate their bodies’ temperature.
So if you yourself are over 65 or you have a loved one who is in that age group, what do you do? The biggest pieces of advice we can give you here at CareBuilders at Home is to stay inside and drink lots of water, more than you think you need to and before you start to feel the effects of the heat. It is also incredibly important that you make sure you are wearing plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin (just like we need to be extra careful to moisturize in the winter). Other advice from the CDC, found here, is to wear light clothing, have more than just a fan going to cool you down, and avoid cooking with the stove or oven while it is extremely hot.
Our caregivers are here to help! Some ways you can ask them to help you beat the heat is if you don’t particularly enjoy water, for them to put some fruit in a large pitcher of water, so that the fresh fruit flavors the water naturally. You can also ask them to prepare you cold sandwiches and salads for you, so they don’t have to use the oven or stove.
Stay tuned for next time, when we’ll talk about indoor family friendly activities to do this summer with your grandkids!
