Five Big Summer Safety Tips for Seniors
Summer is a beautiful time of year, but it can also lead to serious health problems. Keeping your senior safe means watching a lot of variables.
Drinking Plenty of Water Is Not Optional
Your senior might not enjoy drinking a lot of water every day, but it helps her to stay hydrated, especially when the weather is getting way up there. Your senior’s body doesn’t respond to heat the way that it did when she was younger. She might even find that she doesn’t sweat the same way that she did in the past. That makes proper hydration that much more urgent for her.
Air Circulation Helps a Lot
Stale, hot air that just sits there is uncomfortable and can make everything feel sticky and just worse overall. Use plenty of fans to keep air circulating. Small fans can help just as much as larger fans do and they can help to take some of the strain off your senior’s air conditioning, too. And if she’s reluctant to use her air conditioning, try to convince her that it’s going to help a lot.
Stay Out of the Sun
Spending time in the sun can be a little bit more dangerous in the summer. Between hotter air temperatures and the powerful UVA and UVB rays of the sun, your senior can easily get burnt. If she’s inside, reducing the amount of sunlight that enters the house can help to keep the home cooler. Blinds and window treatments can help a lot and can trap heat while still letting in some natural light.
Watch for Any New or Odd Behaviors
Heat-related illnesses often come with a change in behavior. Your senior might suddenly be confused, for example, when normally she’s quite alert and on the ball. These changes can be your clue that there might be more going on. Make sure your senior is cool and hydrated and call her doctor to see what else might be going on.
Talk to Her Doctor about Side Effects
Medications can affect how your senior handles the heat and the sun during the warmer summer months. Talk to her doctor about what you need to watch for and whether her medications can create problems for her in the heat. There might be some small adjustments necessary in summer to help her to avoid problems.
It might be a good idea to have home care providers on hand for your senior during the summer. That can be especially important if you’re not able to be with her during those hotter months of the year. Home care services can make sure your senior is safe and comfortable, even on the hottest days.
Excerpt: Your senior might love being out and about more in summer, but there are some dangers to avoid.
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