When temperatures rise, so do risks for the elderly

Heat waves are never easy, but they’re particularly brutal in urban areas; pavement and metal trap the heat, making cities as much as 10 degrees hotter than suburban areas and contributing to health problems for people over age 65 or those with chronic medical conditions.

Setting an air conditioner to 78*F is the best way to avoid heat-related illness, but not all city apartments are air-conditioned, and air conditioners can often break down or not perform well during extreme temperatures.

If your loved one doesn’t own an air conditioner (AC), open windows, but pull shades as low as possible to keep out the sun, and leave fans running at night to draw in cool air.

• Look into replacing an existing or out-of-date AC unit with a new one or signing up for regular maintenance. Air-Wave Air Conditioning Co. will clean and maintain your existing AC and even store it at its warehouse during the winter months.
• Have plenty of liquids on hand, but if your family member has heart, kidney, or liver disease, check with your physician about how much is safe.
• Make sure your family member is dressed appropriately in lighter, loose-fitting garments.
• When the heat index is dangerously high, New York City opens cooling centers. Call 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115) or go to http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/cc/index.htm during a heat emergency to find a cooling center nearby. Libraries, senior centers and community centers often serve as cooling centers during heat waves.
• If your family member must be left alone for a period of time during a heat wave, be sure to have a neighbor or family friend check in on them periodically to make sure they are ok.
• Limit cabin fever by spending small period of time outdoors in the morning and late afternoon. Go to an air-conditioned place, like a bookstore or a movie theater.

Leg or stomach cramps are often the first sign of heat-related illness. Treat mild cramps immediately with rest and fluids; if cramps are severe or accompanied by nausea, seek medical attention.

Fatigue, headache, dizziness, confusion, weak pulse, and shallow breathing are signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. With heat exhaustion, the skin is clammy or sweaty, and with heat stroke it is flushed, hot and dry.

Treat heat exhaustion by elevating feet, placing cool wet cloths on the skin, and giving the patient water or electrolyte solutions. If these don’t help, seek medical attention. Heat exhaustion can develop into heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. Call 911 at once.

Remember that even if you’re able to tolerate the heat, your older parent might have difficulty. The body’s ability to cool itself diminishes with age, and conditions that can cause heat cramps in a teen may lead to heat exhaustion in a 40-year-old and heat stroke in someone over 60.