Summer Safety Tips For Independent Living Seniors While Indoors
In a previous blog, we discussed some safety tips for when you are outdoors during the summer month, here we are presenting you with some indoor safety tips to ensure you are better prepared to tackle the hot days of summer.
Keep it cool!
During hot days, it is strongly recommended that seniors stay in an air-conditioned environment and try to limit their time outdoors. If your home does not have air conditioning that is not an issue! By opening your windows at opposite ends of the house, it creates a cool draft which can be extremely helpful. It is also a good idea to spend some time in air-conditioned buildings such as grocery stores and libraries. Your house can also feel cooler by setting up a fan anywhere where it’s needed in the house, but if it’s set up in your bedroom, be sure not to fall asleep with it on, since it can lead to congestion, allergy enhancement, dry eyes and skin, and even muscle aches. Be sure to drink enough water throughout the day!
Stay hydrated!
Eating less fruits and vegetables (which many seniors avoid due to difficulty chewing), and casually losing fluids through sweating, are factors which can put a person at risk for dehydration. By avoiding sugary soft drinks or caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea and drinking water instead, you are staying more hydrated than you would have otherwise. If you are looking to enhance your water to make up for the loss in minerals you experience through sweating, consider adding an electrolyte drink mix to water. But, for diabetics, be sure to get a mix that does not contain added sugar.
Check the side effects of your prescriptions!
Some medications make people more sensitive to heat. Be sure to check if your prescriptions mean you need to take extra precautions. It probably will not mean you have to forego outdoor activities, just that you will need to make extra sure to follow some of the other suggestions on this and our “Safety Tips for Independent Living Seniors while Outdoors” list to avoid problems.
We hope that you find these tips helpful. If you have any questions or think we could include better tips and advice, do not hesitate to reach out to our team.
