The elderly are particularly vulnerable to extreme cold, and a geriatric expert is offering tips on keeping senior citizens safe. They produce less body heat, and hypothermia can develop even during sleep.
A good preventive step is to make sure the elderly use extra blankets and to make sure that the temperature where they reside is set appropriately. Cool homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees can trigger hypothermia in older people. The thermostat should be kept at a minimum of 70 degrees for the elderly.
For the elderly, disabled, and those with special needs, the cold weather means it's harder to get to the pharmacy, shovel snow, or run to the grocery store. Joann Moore, the spokesperson for the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross, says now is the time to be a good neighbor, by getting out and knocking on the doors of your elderly neighbors to make sure they’re coping well.“First of all, I would recommend that you check in with them quite often to see if they do need help, [to see] if the heat is on. That’s one of the most important things, I think, because elderly people, and people who are very young, are very susceptible to hypothermia,” Moore said.
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