|
Keeping Seniors Safe In The Summer Heat |
|
|
|
|
Written by Webmaster
|
|
Friday, 23 January 2009 |
|
By Art Gib
 Summer sunshine and hot temperatures will be here before we know it. Senior citizens are especially sensitive to heat related problems and need to take precautions to avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Many seniors are perfectly capable of living at home on their own, but their families need to make sure that their loved one is staying cool indoors. In the best case scenario, a senior citizen's home will be equipped with a functional air conditioner or swamp cooler.
Before the summer heat hits, make sure the cooling mechanisms are serviced and are in good working order. If not, family members should make sure that the home has plenty of fans to circulate air, and check in with their loved one on a daily basis to make sure they are ok.
Older folks should plan to get up early in the day and perform as many of their outdoor tasks during the coolest hours. No gardening, exercising, or any kind of strenuous physical activity should be done after lunch.
A senior who simply must spend time out
of doors during the hottest times of day should seek out shady refuges under trees or covered porches. Blinds or drapes may be drawn during the afternoon as a way to keep a house cooler. If fans are in use, open windows or doors on opposite ends of a room to encourage cross ventilation.
Staying hydrated is another essential way for seniors to ensure their own summer safety. Lemonade, iced tea, and popsicles are popular treats for more reasons than that they taste delicious! Anything wet and cold will help lower body temperature and keep the level of hydration in the body steady. Choose cool foods such as salads, and make a conscious effort to include plenty of fruit, celery, and carrot sticks in a daily diet which add more water to a senior's daily intake.
Stick with basic cotton and loose fitting clothes to help ward off overheating. Just as body heat escapes through the head in the winter, heads and faces are also particularly vulnerable to receiving heat in the summer. When going outside any time of day, make sure to wear some kind of headwear. Using sun block cream will protect tender older skin from sunburn and lessens the chances of developing skin cancers.
Despite the best prevention measures, seniors may nevertheless fall prey to heat exhaustion. Some of the symptoms include: fatigue, nausea, general weakness, sweating or not sweating, a rapidly increased heart rate, and even fainting. If a senior is living alone, he or she may not have help nearby when such problems arise. Wearing a medical alert device is an invaluable life saver in these circumstances since help can be summoned and arrive within minutes.
Summer days mean sunshine, outings, visits in the yard with friends, gardening, and other simple pleasures. Make your older loved ones' safety from the heat a high priority, and enjoy a cool and restful season.
For the very best in quality senior citizen medical alert systems, contact the professionals at Accel, Inc (http://ezmedicalalert.com/). Art Gib is a freelance writer.
Your Network For Clinical Support Information Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 23 January 2009 )
|
