What Should You Do If Your Parent is Suffering From Heat Stroke?

Elderly adults are particularly vulnerable to a variety of health concerns and conditions, including heat stroke. Simply being older increases their risk, but they can also be at higher risk if they suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, circulation problems, or obesity. This condition can lead to very severe consequences, including heart, kidney, and brain damage, and even death. Knowing how to properly handle heat-related illnesses and injuries can help to diminish the impact of excessive heat and reduce the risk of severe consequences.

Use these tips to help you handle the situation if your senior is suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke:

• If your senior is showing symptoms of being overheated, particularly confusion, rapid heartrate, or loss of consciousness, call for emergency medical services immediately, then concentrate on cooling the person down.
• Bring your elderly loved one into an air conditioned building or into the shade if an indoor area is not available.
• Remove any excess clothing that they might have on, including shoes and socks, and loosen other clothing as much as possible.
• Find ways to cool them as quickly and effectively as possible. This can include putting them into a cool shower or bath, using a sponge or towel to put water on their head or the back of their neck, fanning them, misting them with cool water, or putting ice packs wrapped in cloth or wet washcloths under their arm pits, behind their necks, and in their groin.
• Continue to monitor their condition and keep them as cool as possible until emergency services arrives. If they are conscious, encourage them to sip cool water to further help to bring their body temperature down. Do not attempt to give water to someone who is not conscious, who is having a seizure, or who is not able to swallow safely.

If you have been looking for ways for your senior to achieve and maintain a higher quality of life, better health, and a more fulfilling lifestyle as they age in place, starting elderly care for them may be the ideal solution. An elderly home care services provider can be with your senior on a schedule that is right for their individual needs and challenges, as well as the care efforts that you are able to give them. This care provider can give your senior a highly personalized set of services designed to address not just their needs, challenges, and limitations, but also to help them to pursue a lifestyle that is active, engaged, and independent as possible. This can include such valuable services as providing safe and reliable transportation to where they need and want to go, helping them to make good decisions about their hydration and diet, and keeping them active. When it comes to helping them stay healthy in the heat, this care provider can monitor your parent’s condition, help them to stay cool, and alert you to any concerns that they might have so that you can make the care and treatment decisions that are right for them.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering elderly care in Modesto, CA, please contact the caring staff at Valley Home Care.

Source:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/basics/symptoms/con-20032814