Is your mom in an area where it’s been hotter than usual? Across the U.S., residents are seeing extreme temperatures and weather extremes that are posing challenges, especially for those who live alone. If your mom lives alone and is in an area experiencing triple digits, make sure she knows how to stay cool. This is also a good time to consider hiring senior home care.
Stay Inside
Your mom needs to avoid being outside. If she has to check his gardens or water them, first thing in the morning is ideal. But, she needs to limit the amount of time she’s out there. She could set up a sprinkler and then head back inside to set a timer to turn it off again in 30 minutes.
Room darkening blinds help keep the sun from heating the rooms within his home. She also needs to look at floor fans or ceiling fans to circulate the air and stay cool. If she has AC, she should run it at least in rooms he spends the most time in.
Checking the AC or Not Having It
Not everyone has AC or can afford to fix a broken central AC system. If your mom doesn’t have AC, fans, a dark room, and dampening a t-shirt all help keep her cool. A damp t-shirt helps keep the skin cool, which keeps the body temperature down. When it evaporates, you can dampen it again in a sink.
If she cannot stand the feeling of damp clothing against her skin, lukewarm showers help her stay cool. Make sure she’s staying hydrated, too.
Don’t Cook Inside
Using the oven or stovetop is going to heat up his kitchen. Aim for cooler meals while it’s hot. Chef salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches are all good options for now. Keep her stocked with chicken and tuna salad, fresh fruit, and cooked grains like quinoa, brown rice, and barley.
Breakfasts can include things like bowls of cereal, overnight oats, and fruit and yogurt. Fruit smoothies packed with greens, bananas, frozen fruit, and flax seeds are also good options.
Recognize the Differences Between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is a medical emergency and should have your mom going to the hospital for treatment. It occurs when the body temperature rises too much. Signs are dry, hot skin, a rapid pulse, confusion/disorientation, and a body temperature of 104 F or higher.
Before it reaches this point, heat exhaustion occurs. Signs of that are extreme sweating, dizziness, headache, extreme thirst, and muscle cramps. If your mom is experiencing these, have her take a lukewarm shower, drink some water or milk, and call her doctor as a precaution. Make sure she sits down in front of a fan or AC.
Don’t Let Him Go Without Anyone Checking In
It’s time to consider having senior home care aides with her each day. You may not live close enough or have enough time to be with your mom all day. A caregiver can stop by, make sure her AC is running, ensure she has plenty to drink, and that she’s okay.
Arrange senior home care by talking to a home care expert. You’ll go over prices, the variety of services available to your mom, and how to make the necessary arrangements.
For more information about how caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents stay in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable Senior Home Care in La Jolla, CA, and the surrounding communities.
Today we are the oldest and most experienced private duty agency in San Diego County.She saw a need for quality private duty home health care and she worked diligently to build an agency that filled that need.I am proud to say, her vision is carried on today with our dedicated staff.
I believe our tenure in the community speaks well for us.We have had the opportunity to be of service to countless interesting individuals, including local and worldwide celebrities.It is the people we care for that makes this a fascinating industry.Whether high profile or a more ordinary citizen, we are proud that thousands have entrusted us with their care or the care of their loved ones.Our Mission is to provide high quality, very secure and the most compassionate home health care.We believe that patients heal faster and are happiest when they can stay in their homes.”
- Four Providers Who Ease the Stress of Caring for a Chronically Ill Loved One - October 29, 2024
- Therapies Seniors May Need After a Stroke - October 22, 2024
- Keeping Psoriatic Arthritis from Triggering Other Issues - October 15, 2024
