3 more hot days: Elder care tips you need
Saratoga PA Seana Mosher has some practical advice for caring for your elderly loved ones who are more used to Upstate winters than heat waves.
Now that we’re in the middle of yet another heat wave — temps are supposed to reach 88 today, 91 tomorrow and 88 on Wednesday — Saratoga physician associate Seana Mosher advises locals to pay extra attention to their older loved ones.
A week ago, during our last spell of super-high temps, she dealt with some situations — mostly involving elderly patients — that could easily have been prevented, especially with the help of in-the-know friends, neighbors or family members.
“Certain elderly folks don’t like to drink water for practical reasons,” Mosher says. “Some have difficulty with mobility, making getting up to go to the bathroom something they simply want to avoid. They might also have concerns about falling in the middle of the night, making drinking water the last thing they want to do.
“This in itself can be a major contributor to dehydration — no matter the season.”
While they might be able to get away with this during milder seasons, avoiding water in summer leads many straight to the hospital for treatment — something that can be scary for the patient. When visiting, take a look at their AC — if they have one; many Saratogians still don’t. Those mobility issues might stop them from cranking it up when it gets too hot.
“This rise in temperature like we’re seeing this week can be enough to cause more significant problems than you might think,” Mosher says. “Often when elderly patients are met with severe dehydration, symptoms can vary, but sometimes there are cognitive changes and they can become confused. This can be a dangerous situation for our elderly.”
This is exactly what happened with a patient whom Mosher saw just last week.
“His family brought him to the hospital because of confusion,” Mosher says. “He was treated for dehydration and an ‘erythematous rash’,” which is a general term for redness on the skin.
“Unbeknownst to his family, he had been wheeling himself outside every day in the heat of the summer, not rehydrating and definitely not putting on sunblock,” Mosher says. “Once he was rehydrated he was able to confirm that this ‘rash’ was in fact a sunburn. With the high heat index and a sunburn, he was a prime example of why our elderly need to remain hydrated and perhaps out of the sun altogether.”
With that in mind, Mosher has some practical tips that might sound obvious but would have prevented a high number of the visits that have already filled up the local Saratoga urgent care centers this summer.
“Watch your older loved ones and make sure they stay hydrated, including when they’re inside their own home,” Mosher says. “And if they do insist on spending time outdoors, be in charge of their sunblock application — and make sure they wear a big hat and stay in the shade.”
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