What to Check on When You 'Check on the Elderly'

You'll hear it on nearly every broadcast weather report during this heatwave: "remember to check on elderly neighbors and relatives" but it's important to know what to check for.

Director says seniors who don't use air conditioning and who use fans should be of special concern. That's because many elderly people have a much higher threshold for heat than younger adults. The result is often that older people, especially those on fixed and low incomes, don't feel the need or are reluctant to turn on their air conditioning.

The most serious situations arise when older people think they will be fine by closing all the windows and closing the drapes or shades to keep the hot air and sun out of their homes. Shapiro says "when they close the windows and turn on the fans without at least cracking a window open they are creating a convection oven and literally baking themselves in sweltering air.

She says it's one of the biggest problems that people in her line of work see every year. "Fans only work if they are getting fresh air. If the windows and doors are closed all a fan does is circulate (and intensify) hot air."

Temperatures and heat indexes like we are experiencing this week can literally prove deadly. The National Weather Service has issued an at 8 p.m.. The warning advises people to stay in air conditioning whenever possible. If you must be outside, the weather service warning advises drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks.

Know the Warning Signs of Heat Related Illness

A list of dangers signs for heat stroke and exhaustion can be found here on the Centers for Disease Control website.

If you need a place to cool off, the Wayne Senior Center has a policy of staying open later in the evening for anyone, regardless of age, with no options for a place to find refuge from the heat. However, you should call ahead if you need a place to go after 4:30 p.m. to alert them. If there are no calls and no one comes in the center closes at its normal time. The number is 610-688-6246