ARTICLES / General /Heat
Stress in the Elderly /
What You Can Do to Help Protect Elderly
Relatives and Neighbors
If you have elderly relatives or neighbors, you
can help them protect themselves from heat-related
- Visit older adults at risk at least twice a
day and watch them for signs of heat exhaustion
or heat stroke.
- Encourage them to increase their fluid
intake by drinking cool, nonalcoholic beverages
regardless of their activity level.
Warning: If their doctor generally limits the
amount of fluid they drink or they are on water
pills, they will need to ask their doctor how much
they should drink while the weather is hot.
- Take them to air-conditioned locations if
they have transportation problems.
What You Can Do for Someone With Heat
If you see any signs of severe heat stress, you
may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency.
Have someone call for immediate medical assistance
while you begin cooling the affected person. Do the
- Get the person to a shady area.
- Cool the person rapidly, using whatever
methods you can. For example, immerse the person
in a tub of cool water; place the person in a
cool shower; spray the person with cool water
from a garden hose; sponge the person with cool
water; or if the humidity is low, wrap the
person in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her
- Monitor body temperature and continue
cooling efforts until the body temperature drops
- If emergency medical personnel are delayed,
call the hospital emergency room for further
- Do not give the person alcohol to drink.
- Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
This article is from the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention