Keep Your Senior Cool With These Caregiver Tips
Safe, summer tips for keeping it cool in the heat.
Many seniors want to maintain a sense of independence as they age. Rather than turn to assisted living, or choose a retirement home, many seniors would rather choose to live at home with help from our Comfort Keepers® caregivers. Unfortunately, the older one gets, the more help they need, especially during the summer when the weather can get hot and humid. That's where Comfort Keepers caregivers in Edmond, Oklahoma can help.
The basics of staying cool start with preparing your home for the heat. Get started with these caregiver tips to staying cool inside:
- Check that caulking around windows/weather strips are intact
- Consider tinting windows or covering them with curtains
- Make sure that the air conditioning unit is regularly serviced
- Install ceiling fans to circulate air
- Ensure that all clothes dryer vents are clear (clogging generates heat in the house)
- Keep spray bottles with water nearby (spritz for coolness)
Caregivers can ensure all these basic steps are followed when preparing your home for the summer heat. Because staying indoors the entire summer is not fun, some caregivers also have come up with a few more tips to keep seniors cool when leaving their homes. Caregivers suggests these basic steps to keeping seniors safe while traveling outdoors or during activities:
- Try to keep activities in air conditioned places; malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc.
- Whenever possible seniors should wear light colored & lightweight clothing
- When outside, seniors should wear hats, sunglasses and SPF for protection from sun
- Take cool showers and baths to cool down when feeling overheated
- Drink plenty of fluids; especially water
- Avoid dehydrating drinks; coffee and alcohol do not help keep you hydrated
As the elderly get older, many are less sensitive to their feelings of heat and thirst – these can also be affected by medicine and their side effects. Caregivers can help monitor their client and look out for these signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Please contact Comfort Keepers serving areas of Edmond, Oklahoma for more information on how our Caregivers can keep your senior happy and healthy this summer!
