Seniors become more susceptible to heat-related health risks as age-related changes affect their temperature regulation and how they experience thirst. It’s easy for seniors to become dehydrated, especially if they are experiencing declining thirst sensations and medication side effects. Plus, as severe summer heat events become a consistent part of each year, the risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke increases.
This doesn’t mean seniors should spend all summer indoors. Summer provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy time outside and in the community. With a well-designed summer plan, skilled care communities can support seniors as they safely access the best summer has to offer.
Why are seniors at higher risk for heat-related illness?
Seniors often take medications that reduce their body’s ability to control temperature and produce sweat, putting them at higher risk for heat-related illnesses. Older adults also handle sudden temperature changes with greater difficulty. This means that spending a lot of time in the heat, then suddenly going into an air-conditioned space, doesn’t help them cool off as well as someone younger.
Chronic conditions also affect how well seniors handle summer heat. Diabetes, heart disease, and dementia all increase the risk of heat-related illnesses. Combined with diminished thirst sensation and reduced water retention, seniors can dehydrate quickly.
What does heat-related illness look like for seniors?
From dehydration to heat stroke, seniors can experience a range of heat-related illnesses. The National Institute for Aging states, “Headache, confusion, dizziness, or nausea could be a sign of a heat-related illness.” Not sweating when it’s hot, becoming uncoordinated, and cramping can present as symptoms of heat exhaustion, heat-related syncope, and heat cramps.
Because seniors are already more likely to become dehydrated, paying attention to signs of dehydration and ensuring fluid intake is essential. Complications of dehydration include constipation, kidney issues, and loss of balance, which can lead to falls, one of the most common reasons why seniors end up hospitalized.
How can you prevent heat-related illness for seniors?
With the extra heat sensitivities many seniors experience, it can feel easier to just keep them indoors. But this means seniors miss out on the many benefits of time outdoors. Focusing on heat management strategies before heading out to enjoy summer weather reduces the overwhelm and ensures everyone is set up for a safe and enjoyable time.
Staying hydrated is critical for seniors, no matter the season, and for some, it’s an ongoing struggle. Regular encouragement to sip fluids throughout the day helps seniors stay ahead of thirst signals and builds a consistent habit.
Water is always the best choice, but drinking plain water isn’t always rewarding enough to ensure adequate consumption. Turning a focus on hydrating foods (like fruit), including 100% fruit juices, and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and high-sugar beverages supports hydration. In the summer months, low-sugar popsicles, shaved ice, and smoothies can support hydration while adding a fun twist. Adding a fun twist to the visual presentation of beverages, like serving in stemware, adding garnishes, and using fun straws and umbrellas, also encourages seniors to enjoy hydrating beverages.
Sun safety matters as much for seniors, if not more, than it does for everyone else. Because seniors recover more slowly from sunburns and some medications can cause sun sensitivity and increase the likelihood of sunburns, sun protection has to be top of mind.
Several strategies are easy to implement and give flexibility to sun protection. Keep seniors COOL with these strategies:
- Clothing choices: Light colors, loose-fitting natural fabrics
- Outdoor timing: Before 10 AM and after 6 PM for the best combination of low UV intensity and cooler temperatures
- Over 30 SPF protection: Sunscreen SPF 30 or above, along with regular reapplication
- Lifestyle accessories: Sunglasses, hats, cooling towels, and combination spray bottle/fans
Environmental considerations also go a long way toward senior comfort and safety in the summer months. Insect repellent and fall prevention strategies remain important considerations every summer. Increasingly, having heat wave protocols in place ensures no one has to make a last-minute decision or feels pressure to continue a planned activity in unsafe temperatures. Clearly communicated protocols help to manage expectations for seniors, families, and staff.
How does The Restoracy keep seniors safe in the summer?
At The Restoracy, time in nature isn’t just about checking off activities that look good to families. As part of our commitment to restoring health, dignity, and familiarity, we design opportunities for seniors to be outside as often as possible and meet their interests on an individual level. From gardening to our annual slip and slide day, to fishing and leisurely neighborhood walks, we know that time outdoors supports our residents.
Our approach always considers senior health and safety as a key part of planning any activities. We take into consideration what residents would like to do and then explore options for how to do their preferred activities safely. This means that we look to make every activity accessible to each senior in our care without risking their health or their enjoyment of an activity.
Visit our community and see firsthand how The Restoracy team prepares for safe, enjoyable summer activities.