Summer Safety For Older Adults

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

Severe summer weather can be hard for anyone to deal with but, for many reasons, older adults may have a harder time adjusting to severe weather. Severe summer weather in Ohio may include severe thunderstorms, tornados, floods and flash floods, high winds, excessive heat, fog, and more.

Disasters Don’t Wait. Make an Emergency Plan Now.

Every household should have an emergency kit and plan. Older adults may have additional things to consider including in their kit and plans. Learn what you should include.

The Ohio Department of Insurance offers a Severe Weather Toolkit to help Ohioans be safer and more financially prepared when severe weather strikes, as well as help them navigate the recovery process.

As we age, our bodies do not adjust as well to high temperatures, humidity, or sudden changes as they did when we were younger. Plus, chronic health conditions and the medications we take to treat them can change how our bodies respond to heat. Common types of heat-related illnesses that affect older adults include:

Heat cramps are Muscle cramps, most often in the legs, caused by not drinking enough to replace fluids and nutrients lost to sweating
Heat exhaustion is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by not enough fluids, hot environments and high body temperatures.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition caused when the body is unable to regulate its own internal temperature in a hot and humid environment.

Extremely hot days are severe weather. When high temperatures are in the forecast, tollow these tips to protect yourself or older loved ones from heat-related illness:

Drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic beverages.
Wear lightweight clothing.
Rest frequently.
Seek an air-conditioned environment.
Remain indoors during the hottest part of the day.
Avoid strenuous activity when it is hot.
Take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath.

Learn to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness. These include: weakness, lightheadedness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, headache, unusual skin temperature, disorientation. If you or a loved one have any of these symptoms, move to a cooler place and seek medical attention immediately.

Often, following severe weather, contractors may roll into a neighborhood, offering to repair damage caused by the storm. While many respectable businesses still go door-to-door to meet potential customers, you should always be careful about people who come to your home unexpectedly. They don’t always have your best interests in mind. The Ohio Attorney General warns consumers to be alert to signs of home repair scams, such as:

They claim they can start work immediately, have the materials left over from another job, or offer some other reason you should accept their offer right away.
They ask for a large down payment or ask you to sign over your insurance settlement check.
Once you’ve paid, they may not return to do the work, or the work they do may be incomplete or poor-quality.
They pressure you to decide right away and refuse to give you written information about their work.

Learn more about scams and fraud targeting older adults.