Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is of course extremely important for the older generation during the summer as not drinking enough could lead to health issues. A balanced diet can also contribute towards staying hydrated, as food can replace any salt your body loses through sweat.
It is important to know the signs of dehydration for an elderly person they may include:
- Dry or sticky mouth
- Dizziness
- Low blood pressure
- Confusion or disorientation
- Sunken eyes or cheeks.
Having 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day prevents dehydration, but often it is difficult to get older people to drink so things like jelly, fruit and yoghurts help towards their fluid intake.
Keeping cool
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are huge risks to summer safety amongst older people. This can result from excessive heat exposure. Older people find it more difficult to adjust to the changes in temperature. Often, they continue to leave their heating on or wear too many layers of clothing. Overheating is a risk to the elderly during the summer months.
Overheating known as hyperthermia can have multiple symptoms.
- Fainting/unconsciousness
- A change in behaviour (confusion, staggering or delirium)
- Dry, flushed skin
- A faster pulse rate
- Heat rash
- Convulsions
- Body temperature exceeding 40 C for between 45 minutes and 8 hours.
To help to prevent the possibility of overheating, be sure to stay indoors on particularly hot days. Wear loose fitting clothing, drink plenty, use a fan and close curtains at the hottest part of the day this keeps the room cooler.
Skin safety
Skin care is often overlooked for the elderly during the summer months. But as people get older their skin becomes thinner and this increases the risk of sunburn. However, like anyone of any age prolonged exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin cancer. Alongside hydration and moisturisers to hydrate the skin, you should use a high SPF sunscreen to put onto all the exposed skin.
Food safety
The elderly are more likely to be affected by harmful bacteria, parasites or viruses in food compared to other age groups, it also usually takes longer for them to recover. This is because the body goes through changes, such as changes to our immune system and changes to our stomach acidity as we age. During the summer months, the risk of food poisoning increases.
Some tips to ensure food safety include:
- Clean hands and surfaces frequently.
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Use a thermometer to make sure the fridge and freezer are at the right temperatures.
- Defrost or marinate foods in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in the kitchen sink.
- Refrigerate easily spoilt food within two hours, however if the food has been exposed to high temperatures like a car, refrigerate the food within one hour.
Safety support for people that live alone.
Loneliness for the elderly is usually associated with Christmas time, but many elderly people find the summer months the loneliest of the year as this is the time that families and people around them tend to go away on holiday so this gives an increased risk of all the other heat-related illnesses. So if you do know someone who is elderly or alone, it may be worth arranging some level of care or have someone pop around to check in on them.