Heat Warning: NYS Aging Network Alert

A Special Message from Greg Olsen, Acting Director, New York State Office for the Aging

July 20, 2011: During the course of the next few days, New York State as well as the rest of the Northeast will be facing extreme temperatures and very high heat indexes. During this time I ask that you actively engage community partners to identify and help arrange for or provide safeguards that will help older New Yorkers who may need assistance in dealing with the heat. In addition, I encourage you to reach out to local media outlets in your community to let everyone know that it is important to check on elderly relatives, friends and neighbors during the heat wave.

Dangerous increases in body temperatures are more likely to occur in the elderly. During heat waves they may be unable to lose body heat adequately through sweating and peripheral vasodilatation, thus their temperature rises. Mortality, from all causes, rises dramatically during heat waves in people over 50 and it progresses with increasing age. Unfortunately we are all too familiar with past cases when deaths have occurred when air conditioning has failed or in residences where fans or air conditioning were not available.

Older persons are more prone to heat stress than younger people for several reasons:

Elderly people do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature.

They are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that upsets normal body responses to heat.

They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the body loses its ability to sweat, and it is unable to cool down. Body temperatures rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.

Warning signs vary but may include the following:

An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F); red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; or nausea.

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids.

Warning signs vary but may include the following:

Heavy sweating; paleness; muscle cramps; tiredness; weakness; dizziness; headache; nausea or vomiting; fainting; a pulse rate that is fast and weak; or breathing that is fast and shallow.

What Precautions Can Be Taken During These High Heat Days:

To protect against heat-related stress it is best to for vulnerable populations [elderly] to:

Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages. (If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink when the weather is hot. Also, avoid extremely cold liquids because they can cause cramps.)

·         Rest.

·         Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.

·         If possible, seek an air-conditioned environment. (If you don't have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping mall or public library to cool off.)

·         Wear lightweight clothing.

·         If possible, remain indoors in the heat of the day.

·         Do not engage in strenuous activities.

What Can Be Done to Help Protect Elderly Relatives and Neighbors :

It is important to inform the public that if they have elderly relatives or neighbors, they can help protect them from heat-related problems by taking a few simply precautions:

·         Visiting older adults at risk at least twice a day and watching for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke;

·         taking them to air-conditioned locations if they have transportation problems; or

·         making sure older adults have access to electric fans whenever possible.