Did you know that elderly adults have a higher chance of experiencing a heart attack during the summer? The heat does play a role in heart health and your elderly loved ones body. It is important to make sure that your elderly loved one is properly taking care of themselves during the summer. The good news is that there are some things that you can help your elderly loved one with to help them prevent heart health issues during the summer.

Keeping Hydrated

One of the things that you can do to help your elderly loved one prevent heart health issues in the summer is to make sure they stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water and other fluids is very important. Your elderly loved one should be drinking water and other fluids throughout the day. If they get dehydrated their heart has to work harder to function in the hot heat of the summer. If your elderly loved one cant remember to stay hydrated, you may want to hire a senior care provider to help them do so.

Appropriately Dressing

Another way that you can help your elderly loved one to prevent heart health issues in the summer is to make sure they are wearing the appropriate clothing. They need to dress in light clothing. They should wear clothes that are made of breathable fabric and that are light colors. This will help them to stay cooler when they are in the hot heat. Wicking fabric is another idea for clothing in the summer. This helps to keep the moisture off from the skin.

Know the Signs

Heatstroke is very common in elderly adults. It is important that you, your elderly loved one, and their senior care providers know the signs of heatstroke. During the summer, if your elderly loved one is feeling exhausted, dizzy, confused, disoriented, headaches, nausea, or vomiting, they could have heatstroke. If you feel this is happening with your elderly loved one, 9-1-1 needs to be called immediately. Then, your elderly loved one should be taken to a cooler area and put some water on them to bring down their temperature.

Heart health in the summer is very important. There are far too many elderly adults who are experiencing heart attacks, heatstroke, and other heart health issues during the summer months. Follow the tips above to help your elderly loved one stay safer and healthier during the summer.

Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htm
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-expert-discusses-ways-heart-healthy.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior care in Burnsville, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.