Summer Heat Cheat Sheet for Older Adults
A quick-reference guide to staying cool, hydrated, and safe during hot weather.
Hot weather can be especially hard on older adults. The body's ability to sense and respond to heat can change with age, and some medicines and health conditions make it harder to stay cool. Preparing ahead helps you enjoy the season safely. This cheat sheet offers practical guidance. Talk with your doctor about how your medicines and health conditions may affect your tolerance for heat.
Stay Hydrated
You may not feel thirsty until you are already low on fluids, so drink regularly.
- Sip water throughout the day, even when you do not feel thirsty, unless your doctor has limited your fluids.
- Keep a water bottle where you can see it.
- Eat water-rich foods such as fruit and vegetables.
- Limit alcohol and large amounts of caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Ask your doctor how much fluid is right for you if you have heart or kidney conditions.
- Notice the color of your urine. Dark color can signal that you need more fluids.
Keep Your Home Cool
- Use air conditioning if you have it, and have it serviced before summer.
- If you do not, spend the hottest hours in a cool public place such as a library, community center, or shopping mall.
- Close blinds and curtains on sunny windows during the day.
- Open windows at night when the air cools, if it is safe to do so.
- Use fans to move air, but remember that fans alone may not prevent overheating in very high heat.
- Take cool showers or baths, or place a damp cloth on your neck and wrists.
- Avoid using the oven during the hottest hours.
- Ask your utility or local government about programs that help older adults with cooling.
Dress and Plan Your Day
- Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing.
- Choose a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses outdoors.
- Use sunscreen, and reapply as directed.
- Do outdoor activities early in the morning or in the evening.
- Rest often in the shade.
- Never leave anyone, including pets, in a parked car.
- Check your car's temperature before sitting down, and take care with seat belts and steering wheels that may be hot.
Recognize the Warning Signs
Heat exhaustion can include heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, and cool, clammy skin. If you notice these signs, move to a cooler place, rest, and sip water. Seek medical help if symptoms do not improve quickly.
Heat stroke is an emergency. Signs may include a very high body temperature, hot and dry or flushed skin, confusion, fainting, or a rapid pulse. Call emergency services immediately and try to cool the person while waiting for help.
Look Out for Each Other
- Arrange a daily phone call with a friend or relative during heat waves.
- Check on neighbors who live alone.
- Keep emergency numbers where you can see them.
- Ask your pharmacist whether any of your medicines increase sensitivity to heat or sun.
- Pay attention to local weather alerts and heed advisories.
Do not feel shy about asking for help or for a ride to a cool place. Looking after yourself is the first step to enjoying summer.
Medicines and Heat
Some medicines can make you more sensitive to heat or sun, or can affect how your body handles fluids. Do not change or skip any medicine on your own. Instead, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether any of yours deserve special care in hot weather, and store medicines as directed, since heat can damage some of them. Write down their advice and keep it with your medication list.
The takeaway: Drink fluids, keep cool, plan activities around the temperature, learn the warning signs, and stay in touch with others. Check with your doctor about your personal needs.