Age UK responds to heat health alerts

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK Charity Director, said: “ There will be many older people who look forward to the warm weather and at Age UK, we really want them to be able to enjoy the sunshine. Older people do need to take extra care though as temperatures rise, especially if they have long term health conditions impacting their heart, lungs or kidneys. It can exacerbate certain medical problems, and some medications make us more susceptible to hot weather. Generally, our bodies find it harder to adapt to more extreme temperatures as we age.”

“When the weather is really hot, it’s wise to take some simple precautions such as staying out of direct sunlight and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. It is also worth doing any daily activities, such as going for a walk, shopping, or gardening before or after the hottest part of the day which is 11-3pm. Most of our homes aren’t really designed to cope with scorching weather, so it’s a good idea to do all we can to keep the cool air in and hot air out. We can keep windows open at night, but it’s best to keep both windows and curtains closed during the day. 

“We can also all help keep older people safe during episodes of severe heat by checking in on older relatives, friends, and neighbours to see if they need anything and to make sure they are not feeling overwhelmed by the excessive heat. You could offer help to get shopping or picking up any medication, or you may even have an extra fan you could lend.”