Europe is experiencing higher than normal temperatures during summary 2015. As a result, a health warning has been issued with particular concern raised for the safety of vulnerable groups including older people, young children and people with breathing difficulties.
Higher temperatures increase the risk of dehydration and over heating and it is therefore important to eat a balanced diet to help your body replace any salt you lose by sweating and try to drink 6-8 glasses of liquid a day, and more if it’s hot. Some key signs of these conditions are muscle cramps in your arms, legs or stomach, mild confusion, weakness or sleep problems. If you have any of these you should rest in a cool place and drink plenty of fluids. You should also contact your GP if you have concerns or symptoms persist.
Extra precautions should be taken to ensure that elderly people are safe and we should all check that elderly friends, relatives and neighbours are managing OK whilst the temperatures remain high.
There are also some top tips for staying cool we can all use:
1. Don’t spend long periods sitting or working outside during the hottest time of the day: late morning to mid-afternoon
2. If you’re travelling by car or public transport always take a bottle of water
3. Avoid strenuous activity, and limit activities like housework and gardening to the early morning or evening when it’s cooler
4. When inside, try to stay in the coolest parts of your home. Keep curtains and blinds closed in rooms that catch the sun
5. Keep windows shut while it’s cooler inside than out and open them when it gets hotter inside. If it’s safe, you could leave a window open at night when it’s cooler
6. Wear loose, lightweight, light-coloured, cotton clothing
7. Take cool baths or showers
8. Splash your face with cool (not very cold) water, or place a damp cloth on the back of your neck to help you cool off
9. Drink lots of fluid – even if you aren’t thirsty
10. Eat normally – even if you aren’t hungry, you need a normal diet to replace salt losses from sweating. In addition, try to have more cold foods, particularly salads and fruit, as these contain a lot of water
Carefound Home Care (www.carefound.co.uk) is a provider of award-winning hourly home care and live in care services to elderly people. They offer anything from basic domestic support, companionship, personal care, medication help through to supporting people with more complex conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s.