Summer Safety Guide for Senoirs

As our bodies age, skin and fat tissue, the body's insulators, tend to thin. Because of that change, seniors regulate temperature less efficiently, putting them at greater risk than others from heat-related health problems. Signs of dehydration or heat exhaustion are less pronounced in seniors, who:

• Tend to perspire less than younger people—so their bodies don"t shed heat as easily as they once did.
• May lose some of their sense of thirst and not feel thirsty until severe dehydration has set in.
• May take high blood pressure and heart disease medications that remove salt and fluids from the body. These medications, coupled with heat, can cause a senior to become dehydrated—leading to confusion, organ damage and even death.

The following tips can help seniors beat the heat.

• Slow down.  Strenuous activity in extremely hot weather adds strain to the heart. If you must be active, choose the coolest part of the day—usually between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
  
  
• Take regular breaks when engaging in physical activity on warm days. If you think that you, or someone else, show signs of heat-related illness, stop your activity, find a cool place, drink fluids and apply cool compresses.
  
  
• Stay cool.  If you don’t have air conditioning, spend time at an air-conditioned shopping center, senior center, library, movie theater, restaurant or place of worship.  
  
  
• Plan outdoor activities in the cooler early morning or evening hours
  • Stay in the shade. A covered porch or under a tree are good choices.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat and umbrella to protected yourself from sun overexposure
  • Use U/V skin protection
    
    
• Stay cool in your home. If you must be at home without air conditioning:
  • Stay in the coolest part of the house—usually the lowest floor.
  • Close curtains or shades on sunny windows to keep out heat and light. 
  • Use portable and ceiling fans, and/or battery-operated hand-held fans and misters.
  • Install outdoor awnings or sun screens.
  • Use wet washcloths or ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth to pat your wrists, face and back of the neck.   
  • Take cool baths or showers. 
     
• Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
  
  
• Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat. Sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and vegetables are good choices.
  
  
• Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
  
  
• Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy. Wear a hat or use an umbrella as well.
  
  
• Discuss with your doctor how medications and/or chronic conditions may affect your body's ability to manage heat.
  
  
• Take the heat seriously. Rapid heartbeat, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, headache, chest pain, fatigue, clammy skin, mental changes or breathing problems are warning signs that you should seek immediate medical attention.

Frail seniors who live alone should be looked in on often during hot weather by family members, neighbors or friends.

Know What These Heat-Related Terms Mean

• Heat cramps—are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Heat cramps usually involve the abdominal muscles or the legs. It is generally thought that the loss of water and salt from heavy sweating causes the cramps.
  
  
• Heat Exhaustion—is less dangerous than heat stroke. Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a warm, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Fluid loss causes blood flow to decrease in the vital organs, resulting in a form of shock. Sweat does not evaporate as it should, possibly because of high humidity or too many layers of clothing. As a result, the body is not cooled properly. Signals include cool, moist, pale, flushed or red skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
  
  
• Heat Stroke—also known as sunstroke, is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red and dry skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high—sometimes as high as 105 degrees

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