Heat and the aged person

Summer in Australia -you either love it or hate it. The flies, the dry, the long, long days, the overbright sunlight and the short sweaty nights. The horrible HEAT. That’s right I’m on the “I hate summer” team. For certain people summer can be a really dangerous time, and older people, those over 65, are more vulnerable to Australia’s summer season. One issue with the heat is that some older people are pretty stubborn and/or stoic and feel they have toughed the weather out their entire lives without using air conditioning or fans etc and so they don’t need to be careful during this time. My mother is one of these people and although I respect her tenacity and admire her surviving her “just deal with it upbringing”, at the same time myself and my siblings worry about her when summer comes around and she sits alone in a very hot house.

Another reason aged people are more vulnerable to summer and heat issues is they are not wanting to lose their independence due to fear of going into an aged care facility, or having to move in with their children and not be in their own home anymore. So the aged person doesn’t tell their family/friends that they could do with more support in summer to avoid having to leave their home and they continue to try to live as they did when they were younger- gardening in the heat, driving in the heat, going for walks in the heat, doing housework in the heat.

Climate change believer or not Summers are getting hotter and as you age your resistance to dealing with intense heat diminishes. It might be because of the medications you might be on, the extra elimination of fluids because of certain medications, a reduction in mobility so you can’t move to a cooler location or get that drink, turn the fan on, have dementia so your living skills are reduced or just plain forgetting to drink enough fluids to compensate for how much you might now be overheating or sweating. Whatever the reason summer can be perilous and people who are aged need to be reminded of these factors in a kind and empathetic way and the people that care for and about them would benefit from learning about the signs and symptoms of heat issues in older people if they are unsure.

So spread the word that Summer Sucks and look after the aged around us by checking in on them regularly, offer support to cool down their living environment and chat about how summer is not your friend as you age. And to any aged people reading this, please let family and friends or services help , it would make our lives easier to know you are ok - because we love you.

Check out the link below and see you in Autumn 😊

Heat stress and older people - Better Health Channel