Hot weather is something that a lot of people love, but it can be incredibly dangerous, particularly for seniors. Here’s what you need to be aware of in terms of heat and your senior.
Encourage Her to Stay Indoors
During the hottest part of the day it’s best for your senior to simply remain indoors. That time of day is usually from around mid-morning to mid-evening hours. This is especially important if your elderly family member takes medications that make her more susceptible to the sun or to heat. Help your senior to find ways to keep her home cooler, too, including blackout curtains, fans, and running the air conditioner more often.
Appropriate Clothing Matters a Lot
Your elderly family member might not always feel like wearing the most appropriate clothes for the weather. Clothes that are closer to her body trap heat, so it’s better to wear looser fitting clothing that is made from lighter materials. If she needs to be outside at all, clothes that are lighter in color can also hep to reflect some heat.
So Does Hydration
It’s vital that your senior drinks plenty of water when it’s hot out. She might not notice that she’s sweating a little more or that she’s in need of more water, but it can help her body to regulate her temperature. Encourage your senior to keep a bottle of water with her and to sip from it frequently. You might want to talk to her doctor about how much water is right for her.
Activities Can Take a Lot out of Her
Being active is great for your senior, but being active during hotter weather can be more exhausting for your senior. Encourage her to rest as often as she needs to in order to avoid wearing herself out. Having help with regular daily activities might be a good idea, too.
Pay Attention to the Heat Index
The temperature tells you quite a bit about how the weather is going to be on a specific day, but the heat index might be even more important during hot weather. The heat index is often described as how hot it feels outside, because it factors in humidity and what that does to the existing temperature.
Dealing with the heat might be different now for your senior than it used to be. She may not be as able to tolerate the heat as she was in the past. Having help from home care providers can make that a lot easier for her to manage, especially if she’s still living on her own.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HOME CARE IN WILSON, NC, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS TODAY. CALL (919) 761-5346.