COLUMBUS – As the heat of summer begins to bake central Ohio, health agencies and advocates for the elderly once again gear up their efforts to prevent heat-related illnesses from claiming the lives of the area’s older residents.
While anyone can suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, some people are at greater risk than others for more serious consequences. They include older adults and those who suffer from chronic illnesses like heart and lung disease, breathing disorders and diabetes, Chuck Gehring, president and CEO of LifeCare Alliance, said.
During the “2017 Beat the Heat” campaign, Gehring says, the public is asked to purchase new fans and donate them to the campaign by dropping them off at the nearest fire station. A volunteer or staff member will pick up the fans and take them to the LifeCare Alliance meal distribution facility, 670 Harmon Avenue.
“Last year, we collected and distributed 2500 fans to our neighbors in central Ohio. This year, to meet the needs of the community, we need to collect, distribute and surpass last year totals,” Gehring said.
Anyone in need of a fan is asked to call the LifeCare Alliance fan hotline at 614-437-2870 to learn the time and days that fans will be distributed to the community.
LifeCare Alliance, the Midwest’s leading provider of Meals-on-Wheels, has joined the Columbus Division of Fire and Lowe’s collect and distribute fans, which Gehring says can mean the difference between life and death for older residents, and even children and others with severe breathing problems. He says Franklin County and most counties in central Ohio have not recorded a heat-related death in seven years and he credits the distribution of the fans.
“Doctors and national studies tell us that a fan can make as much as a 10-degree difference in a room and in a home and that can be the difference, obviously, on a 090-degree day between a reasonable day and one where you have to go to the hospital.
Signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke
Heat Exhaustion: Heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, headache, queasiness, light-headedness
Heat Stroke: No sweating, redness; hot, dry skin; muscle cramps, body temperature of 103+, dizziness, throbbing headache, nausea, vomiting
-If you think, a person is suffering from heat stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. Offer the person a cool, non-alcoholic drink and a cool washcloth.
-Source: LifeCare Alliance
Many older people cannot tell if it is too hot in their homes because their own body’s “internal thermostat” doesn’t work as well as it once did, making them more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, Gehring said.
Gehring and others remind resident to check on elderly neighbors, especially when the weather is hot and humid.