What Does Your Senior Need to Get through the Hottest Days?

Summer is the time of year that most people look forward to with a lot of excitement. There’s a lot to love about the summer heat, but it can be dangerous for your aging family member. These tips can help her to stay safe even when the summer heat is at its highest.

Hydration Is Absolutely Vital

Drinking plenty of water is so very important for your elderly family member when it’s hot outside. Talk to your senior’s doctor about how much water is ideal for her to drink and gradually increase the amount she’s drinking to get to that goal. Your senior is likely to need more water during hotter months because her body uses hydration levels to help her to stay as cool as possible.

Limit Activity During the Hottest Parts of the Day

Keeping your elderly family member calm and inactive during the hottest part of the day is also a great idea. If you can do more for her during that part of the day, that’s a great idea. If you’re not available during the day for your senior, it might be helpful for her to have home care providers ready to assist her. Staying calm can help her to avoid overheating.

Encourage Plenty of Breaks

If your elderly family member insists on being active during the warmer parts of the day, encourage her to take breaks often. Heat can take a toll on the body very quickly and often people don’t realize that they’re getting too hot, too fast. Make sure that your senior is able to stay comfortable in parts of the house that are away from the hottest angles of the sun if that’s at all possible.

Help Her to Stay out of the Sun

Sitting in the sun can be enjoyable, but it can also do some damage. During the hottest parts of the day, your senior should definitely avoid the sun. From the middle of the morning to late afternoon, she should stay inside as much as possible. If she does have to go outside at all, wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothing that covers most of her body is a good idea. A floppy hat or an umbrella also helps.

Stay aware of what the temperatures and heat index are doing in your senior’s area. These are important details that can help you both to plan activities and events for her throughout the week.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Pleasant Hill, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

Andy Howard CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howard is a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry. His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005. He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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