About Liz Seegert
Liz Seegert (@lseegert), is AHCJ’s topic editor on aging. Her work has appeared in NextAvenue.com, Journal of Active Aging, Cancer Today, Kaiser Health News, the Connecticut Health I-Team and other outlets. She is a senior fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University and co-produces the HealthCetera podcast.
It’s not too soon to focus on the connection between scorching temperatures and the health of older adults. With the southwest already coping with record-breaking heat and the first reports of heat-related death and hospitalizations of elderly residents confirmed, media attention is turning to weather’s impact on elder’s health in their own communities.
This may be an annual story for many media outlets, but it’s still an important one. A CDC study revealed that over 7,200 deaths occurred from extreme heat between 1999 and 2009, and that heat-related deaths were on the rise, according to their analysis of 2012 mortality data. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures for several reasons. The American Geriatrics Society points out that older adults may be less likely to feel hot and take longer to cool down. Many juggle multiple chronic conditions which are affected by extreme heat and take multiple medications, which can lead to dehydration or more trouble regulating body temperature.
As this CDC fact sheet details, the health effects of extreme heat bear repeating. Public health officials need to spread these messages through local media and will likely be available for interviews. Cooling centers are a great place to interview seniors about conditions in their homes, and hospital emergency department directors can speak to any spikes in visits, as well as warning signs and health ramifications.
What else is your city/town/community doing to help the elderly beat the heat? Here’s a KNXV-Phoenix report on a program in Scottsdale, Ariz., and another from The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., that might inspire some ideas. In central Texas, the Brownwood News reports on several local organizations that have teamed up to conduct a fan drive and deliver them to elderly residents.
What resources can you point seniors to? What should caregivers know?
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