While Labor Day has passed, there still can be many hot days ahead. Experts encourage families to keep a
close eye on older loved ones.
Nobody likes extreme and prolonged heat, but such conditions can be very dangerous and potentially deadly
for seniors.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), heat is the number one
weather-related killer in the United States. On average, excessive heat claims more lives each year than
tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined (http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php).
 "The elderly are often the most vulnerable to severe heat," said Bill M. Mullenhour, local
owner of Home Instead Senior Care franchise office serving Lima, Findlay, Bowling Green, Fremont and
Celina. "Their bodies do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature, they
are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat and they
are often on a prescription medicine that impairs the body’s ability to regulate its temperature or that
inhibits perspiration," he continued.
Following are tips from the local Home Instead Senior Care office, to help seniors combat the heat:
• Keep a glass of water in every room to quickly and easily access fluids. Drink plenty of fluids, even
if you don’t feel thirsty.
• Look for short sleeves, lightweight rayons or cottons, and light-colored clothing that reflect the
heat.
• Stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that
much more difficult.
• Save household chores, particularly washing and drying clothes and operating the dishwasher, for
evenings when the weather is cooler.
• Relax indoors during high heat times – between 3 and 5 p.m. in the afternoon.
• Keep shades down and blinds pulled during the heat of the day.
• Keep the house tightly closed, so it is more energy efficient.
• Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Foods with a lot of protein increase metabolic heat production which
can, in turn, increase water loss.
• If increased use of a central air conditioning system causes higher utility bills that are a problem
for your budget, consider purchasing a fan or small window unit that can cool down a home at a lower
cost. However, do not rely on a fan as the primary cooling device during an extreme heat event.
• Seek medical care immediately if your senior shows symptoms of heat-related illness like muscle cramps,
headaches, nausea or vomiting.
For more information about the heat, visit the National Weather Service Web site at http://www.noaa.gov
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site at www.fema.gov. Or, to learn more about Home
Instead Senior Care, log on to www.homeinstead.com