What do you do if you recognize a heat emergency?

If you recognize any symptoms of a heat emergency in an elderly person, contact a physician immediately. Heat related illnesses are incredibly serious, especially in the high risk elderly population. How can you protect yourself and the elderly? Here are some recommendations from the CDC:

· Increase your fluid intake throughout the day with cool, non-alcoholic beverages. You can encourage any elderly you know to do the same, but check with their physician first. Some medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, can require a fluid restrictive diet.
· Avoid strenuous activity and rest.
· Take a cool shower or bath.
· If possible, stay in an air-conditioned environment – especially in the afternoon when the heat is strongest. (If you don't have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping mall or public library to cool off.)
· Wear lightweight clothing made of breathable fabrics (preferably cotton).
 · Visit older adults at risk at least twice a day and monitor them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

 Remember, heat related illnesses are incredibly dangerous. Take heat seriously and keep heat safety a top priority!

Heat Safety: Recognizing an Emergency

According to the CDC, heat waves are the most dangerous and lethal weather phenomenon. For the elderly, summer heat can pose a serious risk. Elderly people are more prone to heat related stress because their bodies are less capable of adjusting to temperature changes. This is compounded by prescription medication and chronic illnesses, which can also impact the way their bodies react to heat.

So, what exactly is a heat wave? A heat wave is defined as a prolonged period of unusually hot weather that is outside the expected normal climate pattern. Since weather changes region to region, the definition of a heat wave also varies. For example, in Maine, three days of 90 degree weather with high humidity could be considered a heat wave because summers days are usually around 70 degrees. In Arizona, three days of 90 degree weather would be considered normal. The best way to stay informed of the weather is by checking weather websites, the local television channel, or listening to a radio daily. Knowing when a heat wave is going to hit will help you stay prepared!

In addition to being prepared, knowing the signs and symptoms of heat related stress can be a lifesaver, especially when dealing with the elderly. For a variety of reasons, the elderly can be unaware of the change in temperature, and they are at a high risk for developing a heat related illness. Take time to familiarize yourself with the symptoms and signs of heat related illnesses.

According to the CDC, heat exhaustion is a mild form of heat related stress, and it can develop following long periods of exposure to high temperature and low fluids. Here’s what to look for:

• Heavy sweating
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Feeling of faintness or fainting
• Pale skin
• Skin may also be cool and moist
• A fast and weak pulse rate
• Fast and shallow breathing

Heat stroke, or hyperthermia, is a very serious medical condition. The body’s temperature increases drastically, the body loses the ability to cool off through sweating, and it can cause death or permanent injury.

Here are the symptoms as indicated by the CDC:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea

If you recognize any of these symptoms in an elderly person, contact a physician immediately. Heat related illnesses are incredibly serious, especially in the high risk elderly population.

Helping the Elderly Prepare for Summer Storms

Unfortunately, there have been many devastating storms that have hit the United States recently. Our hearts go out to all of those affected. As a leader in elder care, one of our primary concerns is the elderly. Unfortunately, some of the elderly don’t have the strength or resources to prepare for many of these storms, and sometimes they can be unaware that a storm is even on the way. What can you do to help your elderly loved ones?

Here are some tips to help them prepare for summer storms: 

• Stock up on non-perishable goods, and have at least a few gallons of water in an easily accessibly place. Buy extra canned goods while shopping and put them in a box for your elderly loved one.

• Ensure that your elderly loved ones know which room to go into in case of a tornado or high winds. These rooms should be windowless and provide a lot of protection.

• Provide your elderly loved one with a battery powered radio. This way they can stay informed, even if they lose power.

• Make sure that all batteries in flashlights have been replaced, and make sure that candles and matches are easily accessible.

• Make sure your elderly loved one has an extra prescription of any necessary medications available in case they are unable to leave their home.

 • Contact your elderly loved one’s neighbors. If you can’t be there following a storm, have their phone numbers handy and ask them to check on your senior.

The most important thing to remember is to stay in constant communication with your ailing or aging loved one!

Caregiver Stories

Every caregiving situation is unique. We have multiple caregiver employees here at Long Term Solutions. Take some time to meet three of them: Karen, Nancy and Debbie.

You can find Karen's story by clicking here.

Learn more about how Nancy provided care to her father here. 

Lastly, Debbie provided care to both her mother and her father. You can read more about her story here.

Dementia Awareness Week

This week is Dementia Awareness Week in the U.K. They are trying to raise awareness for the various types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, HIV-related cognitive impairment, and mild cognitive impairment. According to the World Health Organization, 35.6 million individuals have dementia, and there are 7.7 million individuals diagnosed with dementia every year. These numbers are incredible, and the World Health Organization also noted that dementia is one of the top causes of disability in older individuals.

As a caregiver, knowing the symptoms and signs of dementia can be crucial to early diagnosis and early treatment. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, these are some important symptoms of dementia:

 - Is your loved one having trouble remembering recent events? Do they have little trouble remembering past events?

- Does it seem like your loved one is distressed or confused when in a familiar environment?

- Does it seem like your loved one has started repeating themselves frequently?

- Does it seem like your loved forgets the names of objects? Do they forget the names of their friends?

- Does your loved one look visibly upset or anxious when they realize they’ve forgotten something?

All of these can signal dementia, and if you begin to notice it in your loved one, talk to their primary care physician immediately. Early diagnosis is incredibly important in the treatment of dementia.

Please take some time to look at the Alzheimer’s Awareness UK website. It has some excellent resources for individuals caring for people with dementia and it has information for those worried their loved one may be developing dementia.

 http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

Outdoor Activity: Gardening

This week, we want to write about gardening. In the past, we’ve written about it as a way for caregivers to relieve stress. In this post, we’re going to focus on how gardening can help the elderly and why it is such a great activity for them.

It’s a wonderful summer activity because it will help to get your elderly loved ones outside. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, being outside can increase vitamin D levels, it can improve mood, and it will increase concentration. Lastly, gardening specifically can help elevate moods. According to a study in Neuroscience, gardening increases cortisol levels and a bacteria in soil helps to increase serotonin production in the brain. All of these will directly benefit your elderly loved one.

Additionally, gardening is a low impact activity, so it’s a great way to incorporate some activity in your elderly loved one’s day without taxing them too much. Additionally, gardening can encompass a wide range of activities from planting individual seeds to pruning roses. This allows caregivers to modify the activity and tailor the activity to their elderly loved one’s needs. For example, if your loved one is unable to kneel down, then planting seeds in individual pots might be the best option. If they don’t feel like doing that, you can have your elderly loved one sit in a lawn chair and prune taller plants.

Lastly, you can click here for a great video from NBC Today about different assistive technologies that are directed at helping the elderly garden.

Stroke Awareness

According to the National Stroke Association, strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in America. They are also a leading cause of debility among older adults. Fortunately, 80% of strokes are preventable.

What is a stroke? A stroke is when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel, and this blockage cuts off blood supply and oxygen to the affected area. As a result, the tissue and organs in the area die. There are two types of strokes: ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic strokes occur when arteries are blocked by plaque or a blood clot. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and blood is leaked onto the brain, causing serious damage.

Fortunately, knowing how to recognize a stroke in a victim can literally be a lifesaver. Use FAST as a tool to remember the four warning signs of a stroke.

F – Face: Is one of side of their face drooping? Have the individual smile and look for any differences.
A –Arms: Ask the individual to raise both of their arms. Are they able to keep both up? Does one arm start to drift downward? 
S – Speech: Is their speech hard to understand? Are they slurring words? 
T – Time to Call 911: If they are exhibiting any of the above symptoms, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately. 

According to the American Heart Association, there are some other symptoms that you can look for such as sudden numbness or weakness in the legs, an onset of confusion and difficulty understanding, trouble seeing, increased inability to walk or maintain balance and coordination, and severe headaches.