The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Heat Stress in the Elderly

With temperatures in the high 90s and above over the past few days, your friends at Distinctive Care, Geriatric Care Management in Ridgewood, N.J. urge seniors to take steps to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Elderly people are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons:

Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature.

They are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat.

They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable yet annually many people succumb to extreme heat.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition and heat exhaustion can also require hospital care. When the weather turns extremely hot and humid, it’s vital to drink plenty of fluids, spend time in cool places and reduce or reschedule any physical activity. And remember to check on elderly family members and neighbors to make sure they are safe.

Prolonged heat and humidity can present a serious health hazard, especially for young children, the elderly and persons taking certain medications.

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services ( DHSS) has the following recommendations to avoid health complications from excessive heat:

• Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
• Make sure children and the elderly are drinking water, and ensure that persons with mobility problems have adequate fluids in easy reach.
• If you do not have air conditioning, spend time in air-conditioned places such as libraries, movies, malls or other public buildings during the hottest hours of the day.
• Wear loose and light-colored clothing.  Wear a hat when outdoors.
• Reduce physical activity or reschedule it for cooler times of the day.
• Don’t leave children, a frail elderly or disabled person, or pets in an enclosed car — not even for a minute — as temperatures can quickly climb to dangerous levels.
• Talk to your health care provider about any medicine or drugs you are taking. Certain medications — such as tranquilizers and drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease — can increase the risk of heat-related illness.

People suffering heat stroke can go from appearing normal to extremely ill in a matter of minutes.  Victims may have hot, dry skin, a high body temperature of 106 degrees or more, an absence of sweat, and a rapid and strong pulse.  Victims may become delirious or unconscious. Persons suffering from heat stroke need immediate medical attention.

Heat exhaustion is a milder illness that may take several days of high temperatures to develop. Victims may have pale, clammy skin and sweat profusely. They may feel tired, weak or dizzy and have headaches or sometimes cramps, but their body temperature will remain close to normal.

Get informed. Listen to local news and weather channels or contact your local public health department during extreme heat conditions for health and safety updates. There may be public health sponsored heat-relief shelters in your area.

For more information on preventing heat-related illness, visit the DHSS web site at www.nj.gov/health/eoh/hhazweb/cool.htm or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/