Temperature Rising Can Be Deadly for Seniors with Chronic Conditions
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| Probably not a good idea.åÊ |
Small rises in summer temperatures may shorten life expectancy for seniors with chronic medical conditions, according to Harvard University School of Public Health researchers.
They studied Medicare data over almost 20 years to follow the long-term health of 3.7 million chronically ill people over 65.
- Each 1å¡ Celsius increase in summer temperatures increased the death rate for elderly with chronic conditions between 2.8% and 4.0%, depending on the condition.
- The mortality risk increased the most for those with diabetes.
“The increasing age of the population, the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, and possible increases in temperature fluctuations due to climate change, means that this public health problem is likely to grow in importance in the future,” warned epidemiologist Joel Schwartz, Ph.D.åÊ
Help your local seniors.
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Visit them at least twice a day and watch for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
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Seniors may not feel thirsty even when their bodies are low on fluids.åÊ Encourage them to drink plenty of cool water, juice or sports drinks and to avoid beverages with caffeine or alcohol. Alcohol, in particular, increases dehydration.
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Take them to air-conditioned places if their residence is hot.åÊ They can also shower or bathe in cool water.åÊ Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness.
Seniors’ bodies do not adjust as well as those of young people to sudden changes in temperature. They are more likely to have a condition that upsets the body’s normal response to heat and are more likely to take medicines that make it harder for the body to control its temperature and to sweat.
People respond to heat exhaustion in different ways, but the CDC reports that common symptoms include:
- Heavy sweating
- Paleness
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fainting
- Skin: may be cool and moist
- Pulse rate: fast and weak
- Breathing: fast and shallow
What really happens when you dial 9-1-1?
Last year over 300 million 9-1-1 calls were made in the US.åÊ What if you or a loved one had to call 9-1-1 today?åÊ Would dispatchers know where you were, or what was wrong?åÊ How can you ensure that they can find you and help you quickly?
If an incoming 9-1-1 call is made from a landline, dispatchers are given the phone number and the address.åÊ However, if the call is made on a mobile phone, dispatchers only see the number and a general location (GPS coordinates give a general location).åÊ And if youÛªre calling from inside a building, they may only get the building location, but not your specific location.
So what information does 9-1-1 need on your incoming call?åÊ Your location to start.åÊ Even if they canÛªt determine the details of the emergency they know where to send response teams.åÊåÊ But what if you canÛªt communicate, or have fallen unconscious and the call is silent?åÊ You would want 9-1-1 to have as much information as possible in order to send the appropriate response teams as fast as possible.
But what if youÛªre not the caller?åÊ What if itÛªs a child, grandchild, elderly parent or family member with a disability? You would want them to receive the same level of care.åÊ While mobile technology is constantly advancing, 9-1-1 technology has not adapted as quickly.åÊ But there are ways to ensure that you and your loves ones are protected in the event of an emergency.
Smart911 is currently being used in over 20 states in the US for this exact purpose.åÊ The free service allows you to create a Safety Profile of information (through www.smart911.com ) for your family that is made available to 9-1-1 and response teams when an emergency call is made.åÊ The profile can contain as much information as each you would like 9-1-1 to have, and includes specific pieces of data such as individual family members, their photos, medical conditions or medications and rescue notes.åÊ It can include pets or service animals, household details such as bedroom locations or access points and even emergency contacts.åÊ And it solves the problem of locating an emergency call by listing mobile phone numbers along with home and work addresses.åÊ
Once the profile is created, it can be changed or updated at any time and itÛªs completely private and secure.åÊ The only time anyone, other than the profile owner, can view it is when a 9-1-1 call is made.
This kind of information could make a significant difference in an emergency.åÊ If an elderly family member experiences a heart attack, stroke or other episode, if they dial 9-1-1 and canÛªt communicate, response teams know where to respond to and have the personÛªs medical notes so they begin to plan treatment methods in route.åÊ
What if your child went missing?åÊ As soon as you dial 9-1-1, their photo and physical description would be available to teams in the field, saving valuable minutes.åÊ
While out driving one day, you are in a car accident.åÊ You may be knocked unconscious, but your child dials 9-1-1.åÊ They would have your vehicle information and a GPS location of the incident, taking the pressure off of your child to convey those details.åÊåÊ åÊåÊåÊåÊ
While this service isnÛªt available in every city yet, more locations are being added this month.åÊ And you can create your safety profile at anytime.åÊ It is a national system so if you are ever in an area with active service and need to dial 9-1-1, your profile will appear. åÊIf you are a caregiver of another family member, this service can help ensure that if there is an emergency that person will be cared for and you can be notified if and when they dial 9-1-1.
ItÛªs also a good idea to create a profile and have an understanding of the details emergency workers need, and talk to your family about that information so that everyone can be better prepared.åÊ While you can never anticipate an emergency, you can have peace of mind that you are prepared for one.
Alzheimer’s and Exercise (VIDEO)
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Dementia Patients Prescribed Antipsychotics at Greater Risk for Heart Attack
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| A cocktail of pills is not the way to treat dementia! @Dan Hallman |
Elderly dementia patients who are prescribed antipsychotic medications face a greater risk for a heart attack within the first month of treatment.
Seniors aging in place taking antipsychotics to treat aggressive and agitated dementia were compared with dementia patients not taking such medications. The group of seniors taking the medications had a hirer risk for heart attack compared to the group not taking the drugs. The heart attack risk gradually decreased over the next year.
Using these medications to control aggressive dementia patients is generally frowned upon in the industry and The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced an initiative to combat their use in nursing homes.
CMS’s ÛÏNational Initiative to Improve Behavioral Health & Reduce the Use of Antipsychotic Medications in Nursing Home ResidentsÛ aims to raise awareness of antipsychotic misuse, improve regulatory oversight and train nursing home workers on non-drug treatments for aggressive and agitated dementia behaviors.
What is important for you is to be aware that there are alternative means to treat dementia patients that are far more dignified than putting them into a drug stupor. So be aware and question your care providers.
