{"id":141298,"date":"2024-07-25T15:18:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T20:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=141298"},"modified":"2024-07-25T15:18:56","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T20:18:56","slug":"hot-weather-safety-tips-for-families-facing-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/hot-weather-safety-tips-for-families-facing-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot Weather Safety Tips For Families Facing Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The entire Southeast region is known for its blistering summer heat including <strong>Mississippi<\/strong>, which is especially dangerous for people living with Alzheimer\u2019s or dementia. Seniors are already at higher risk for heat-related illnesses and that risk increases if a person has <strong>Alzheimer\u2019s <\/strong>or other form of <strong>dementia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Older Adults and Heat Illness<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/aging\/emergency-preparedness\/older-adults-extreme-heat\/index.html\"><strong>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/strong><\/a> says people age 65 and older are \u201cmore prone to heat-related health concerns\u201d due to the effects of certain medications, chronic health conditions, and a reduced ability to adjust to temperature changes. And people with dementia are less likely to take safety precautions and understand the risks associated with extreme weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople living with Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementia can be vulnerable during extreme weather due to impaired judgment or trouble communicating their symptoms,\u201d said Kristen Davis, Program Manager at the Mississippi Alzheimer\u2019s Association.<strong> <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s important to check in and have a safety plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Safety Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a plan for extreme weather can help a person with dementia feel more relaxed and less overwhelmed. The <strong>Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/strong> offers the following tips for caregivers:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stay informed. <\/strong>Turn on weather alerts on your mobile device and check local forecasts. Remember that humidity and air quality are also important to monitor during summer months, not just temperature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Know the signs of heat illness.<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/hot-weather-safety-older-adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>National Institutes of Health<\/strong>\u2019s Hot Weather Safety for Older Adults<\/a> guide outlines types of heat illness\u2014ranging from sunburn to heat stroke\u2014and outlines signs of each. Dizziness, racing pulse, and confusion are some common signs that a person needs help. Also note that people taking diuretics, sedatives, or certain heart medication may not sweat much, but could still be overheating.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay hydrated. <\/strong>Ensure your loved one is drinking plenty of water, electrolyte beverages, or juice and avoiding drinks with caffeine and alcohol. Dehydration may be difficult to notice in a person living with Alzheimer\u2019s, since they may not be able to share their symptoms. Your best option is to focus on good hydration throughout the day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay indoors and out of the sun. <\/strong>Keep individuals cool by using air conditioning at home or going somewhere cool, such as a local senior center or mall.\u00a0 If you must go outside, be sure the person with Alzheimer\u2019s is wearing loose, light clothing, a hat, and sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or higher and limit their time in the sun as much as possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare for behavioral challenges. <\/strong>Research shows that heat can increase agitation and confusion in people with dementia. Try to remove behavioral triggers by addressing the person\u2019s physical needs related to the heat, then tending to their emotional needs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, there are more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease, including more than 62,500 in Mississippi. For help during the heat wave, call the Alzheimer&#8217;s Association 24\/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The entire Southeast region is known for its blistering summer heat including Mississippi, which is especially dangerous for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":141299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1717],"tags":[29523,29585,22294,29521,29587,29584,5,22918,29586,4,17964],"class_list":["post-141298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-alzheimers","tag-alzheimers-association","tag-cdc","tag-dementia","tag-elderly","tag-heat-illness","tag-mississippi","tag-national-institutes-of-health","tag-nih","tag-oxford","tag-seniors"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/alz-heat-safety.jpg?fit=725%2C484&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141300,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141298\/revisions\/141300"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}