As temperatures outside get higher, and we get closer to the summer months, it is important to start thinking about the potential dangers of heat, and what you can do as a family caregiver to protect your senior. Elderly adults are more vulnerable than younger people to the effects of heat, and can suffer severe consequences as a result of exposure to very high temperatures. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your parent from this heat, and help them to stay safer and healthier throughout the hotter months of the year.
Use these tips to protect your parent from extreme heat:
- Encourage them to stay properly hydrated. Water is the body’s natural temperature regulation system, and when temperatures are high, particularly when in conjunction with high humidity, the body needs more water to function properly. Talk to the doctor about how much water they should be consuming in a day, particularly if they are living with health complications and issues that require restricting fluids, such as congestive heart failure.
- Encouraging parent to wear light-colored, lightweight clothing, with as much skin covered as possible. This helps to reflect heat away from the body, while also protecting the comfort and safety of the skin.
- Do not rely solely on fans as a source of cooling. While box fans, ceiling fans, and other versions can get air circulating, which can make a space feel cooler, they are not reliable or full cooling, particularly during high risk heat. Your parents should utilize their air conditioner, or look for a location that has air conditioning to keep them safe on the hottest days.
- Encourage your parent to stay inside as much as possible on the hottest days.
- Always take it easy when the temperatures are high. Even when inside, the effects of high temperatures can be exhausting, and put your parent at even greater risk for heat-related problems, as well as falls and other dangers.
- Never leave your aging parent in a car, even with the window down.
- Make sure there is an emergency key available for your parent so that if there is an emergency and they are stuck outside during the temperatures that could be dangerous, they will have a way to get back in the house.
- Make sure their senior care provider is in the home with them more frequently during these dangerous times. Checking on your parents, making sure they get enough hydration, helping them to choose appropriate clothing, and even transferring them to a cooler environment are all important ways this care provider can help your parent stay safe and healthy.
Starting senior care for your aging parent can be one of the best decisions you can make for them during the course of your caregiver journey. A senior home care services provider can be there with your aging parent on a customized schedule that is right not just for their needs, but also the level of care you already give them.
This means your senior can pursue a lifestyle that is as independent and fulfilling as possible, while also addressing their challenges and needs in the ways are right for them. Through a set of highly personalized services designed with your aging parent in mind, this senior care provider can help your parent stay safer, healthier, happier, and more active throughout their later years. As their caregiver, this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that they have everything they need both and when they are with you, and when they are not.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Senior Care Services in Huntington NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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