Visiting Angels Newington, CT solely provides non-medical care

VISITING ANGELS NEWINGTON, CT 860-372-4429
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10 Ways To Keep Your Loved One Safe During Summer Months

At Visiting Angels Newington, our extensive experience with living assistance services can help you with keeping your senior loved one happy and healthy during the summer

For a lot of seniors, summer is their favorite season of the year as they get to spend plenty of time outside, enjoying the warm and sunny days. However, summer may bring many risks for older adults. At Visiting Angels living assistance, we have come up with a list of 10 tips that can help your loved one prepare for the warmest time of the year and stay safe during the upcoming heat waves.

1. Keep the Windows Open

With age, some people lose sense of their body temperature, often feeling cold on scorching hot days. To make sure the temperature in your loved one's home is bearable and they can breathe in fresh air, keep the windows in their home open.

2. Turn On the A/C Inside Vehicles

Whenever your loved one is traveling somewhere by car, no matter if it is just a short trip to the grocery store or a longer ride to another city, either turn on the AC or leave the windows open.

3. Limit Time Spent in The Sun

As living assistance experts point out, spending too much time in the sun increases the risk of developing skin disease, sunburn, or overheating. This is why seniors need to minimize the time they spend in the sun, especially during peak hours. If your loved one absolutely needs to go somewhere between 10am and 4pm, they should wear light, loose-fitting clothes and cover their head with a cap.

4. Drink Plenty Of Water

Since seniors tend to lose fluids at a much faster pace than other age groups, it is extremely important that your parent drinks plenty of water during the summer days. They should take in at least 8 glasses of water per day and always carry a bottle of water with them when leaving the home.

5. Avoid Strenuous Activities

While your parent or relative may wish to maintain their home and yard/garden on their own, they should avoid performing any overly demanding activities when it is too hot. You may choose to hire a living assistance expert to help your loved one out with activities of daily living or you and other family members and friends can assist with routine tasks.

6. Engage in Appropriate Activities

Seniors should in no way spend all their time at home during the summer. To make the most out of the season, your loved one may want to participate in enjoyable, senior-friendly activities in the area, such as aqua aerobics. What's more, many senior and community centers offer activities in air-conditioned rooms, so seniors can socialize and have fun despite the weather outside.

7. Be Careful with Medications

Some prescribed medications can have harmful side effects if the person using them spends too much time in the sun. Your loved one should consult with their medical team about the side effects of the medications they are taking and make sure to follow their doctor's guidelines at all times.

8. Wear Sunscreen and Bug Repellant

Living assistance experts advise seniors to always apply sunscreen before leaving their home during the summer, even if they are just going to their garden for a couple of minutes. It is important to reapply sunscreen every two hours while outdoors. To protect themselves from bugs, your parent should also wear good bug repellant.

9. Maintain A Buddy System

Your family or living assistance provider may want to determine a schedule when each member could check up on your loved one, just to make certain they are alright. This is particularly important for seniors living with chronic or cognitive conditions, such as dementia.

10. Know How to Recognize Heat Exhaustion

Some of the early signs of heat exhaustion are fatigue, nausea, and headaches. If your loved one shows these signs, move them to a cool place, hydrate them, and call their doctor or emergency services.

Visiting Angels of Newington, CT, is a leading provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors. Our office serves Hartford County, Waterbury, and Springfield, MA. To learn more about the in-home living assistance services provided by our staff of compassionate caregivers, please call our Newington office at (860) 215-2391 or contact us for more information.

Serving Hartford, West Hartford and the Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels NEWINGTON, CT
66 Cedar St #301
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860-372-4429
Fax: 860-372-4471

Serving Hartford, West Hartford and the Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels NEWINGTON, CT
66 Cedar St #301
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860-372-4429
Fax: 860-372-4471

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