Summer can be a dangerous time for seniors. Caregivers should remain alert for signs of life-threatening conditions such as heat strokes, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. It’s essential for family members and caregivers alike to learn how the heat can affect your senior and how to minimize their risk.

How a Caregiver Can Keep Seniors Safe

1. Keep Them Hydrated

Many seniors don’t tend to recognize when they’re thirsty. This can be a side effect of a medication, or it might just come with age. Because of this, make sure to bring a bottle of water with you for your senior wherever you go and encourage them to drink from it regularly. It’s also wise to pack sports drinks to replace water and electrolytes your senior loses during a long trip or a long time outside.

2. Ensure They’re in a Cool Area

Set your senior’s air conditioner to a comfortable temperature when entering the home. If they don’t have central air conditioning, consider asking a family member to buy a window unit and staying in that area on particularly hot days. If your senior can’t afford air conditioning, take them on trips to cooler places during the hottest part of the day, like movie theaters, malls, and libraries.

3. Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a dangerous rise in body temperature—over 104 degrees—which can happen over a matter of days. Some symptoms include a change in behavior, nausea and vomiting, heavy breathing or a rapid pulse, not sweating, even when it’s hot outside, and fainting. If you notice that your senior is experiencing these symptoms, quickly transport them to the nearest hospital or call 911 for help.

If you think it might be time to hire a caregiver, you won’t find anyone better than the at-home senior services specialists at Polish Helping Hands. They’ve been servicing all of Hartford County, CT, since 1998. They offer at-home senior care living services that can be tailored to each person’s needs. Many of their caregivers are also multilingual and speak English, Polish, and Russian. Visit their website to learn about their services or call (860) 404-0499 to schedule an appointment.