Dangers Increase For Elderly People As Temperatures Rise

Temperatures are expected to reach well above 100 degrees Monday and Tuesday.

This heat can really hit the elderly hard and sometimes dehydration and heat exhaustion can be hard to detect.

"Sometimes, if something were to happen, if their fans were to stop working, or their AC were to go out, they might not necessarily realize or they might not know what to do,” said Jacob Guinan, with the Alzheimer’s Association of Oklahoma. “So it's good to just keep a check on our folks."

The Alzheimer's Association said people should be watching out for their elderly loved ones, especially if they tend to wander off, which can be even worse when it’s this hot outside.

"Something as simple as letting your neighbors know ‘hey, my spouse, my parent, whoever it might be, they're living with this disease and they get confused sometimes, and especially during this time of year, and if you see them out, please give me a call,”’ said Guinan. “It could be something as simple as sending out a postcard to your neighbors with your loved one's photo on it."

It can be difficult to explain the heat to someone with dementia, so the best way is to lead by example.

"The best thing to do is to kind of meet them where they're at, and do the same things you are doing for them for yourself," Guinan said. "If they see you making sure you're hydrated and making sure you're cooled off, and you do that with them, that's going to go a long way to helping make sure they stay safe too."

He said the heat can make symptoms of aggression worse in dementia patients, so it becomes more important to keep them calm.

"If we do notice that, we should focus on of course helping our loved one cool down, but also responding to their emotional needs that they might be expressing," said Guinan.

When it gets so hot, it can also be difficult to breathe, so difficulty breathing is another thing to watch for in older people.

Click here for more information about how to care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.