Be REAL careful about the heat and our elderly loved ones, y'all. As most of you already know, old folks cannot handle heat. Period! They don't sweat enough and are usually chronically dehydrated. Even 15 minutes out in the summertime sauna temps can cause a frail, elderly person to have a heat-related problem.

Have a thermometer close by to monitor internal temp and pay attention to facial skin color, whether they are sweating (NOT sweating is a bad sign), etc. Be sure to have ice on hand just in case. If someone does overheat, move them to a cool area immediately and place ice packs on their pulse points and on the back of their head/neck in the medulla area. While it is typical for people to say "don't make a fuss - I'll be all right" DO NOT LISTEN! Do the first aid as heat stroke is a progressive condition. Anyone who has had a heat stroke is more susceptible to having recurrances in the future even under less stressful circumstances.

When Mom overheated after the hurricane, I cooled her by stripping her down and misting and fanning her body. An ambulatory person could be put in a tub of cool water, or cool shower but be real careful as they will also be more likely to fall.

Here's a link to a GREAT article about staying cool without air conditioning that is worth printing out!
http://www.wikihow.com/Cool-Yourself-Without-Air-Conditioning

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And, speaking of heatstroke, PLEASE everyone remember your pets during this hot weather! Dogs & cats can succumb to heat stroke, too. Wet them down, ice under their front armpits, near their femoral areas under their back legs, on their necks over their carotid arteries and put an ice pack on the back of their head to cool down the brain.

I had a dog fall out on me in the high plains area of Texas while on vacation one summer and hadda immerse her in a livestock watering trough to cool her down. Between the higher altitude and the temperature, it got to her even though she'd never had a problem at home where it was much hotter and more humid. After her heat stroke, however, she was always much more sensitive to heatstroke, so the best defense is "no be there."

Dogs only sweat on the pads of their feet, so their entire cooling system is contained in labyrinth-like tissues within their muzzles and the capillaries in their mouths and throats. They pant, pumping cooler air over the wet interior of their mouths and muzzles which cools their blood. Brachycephalic dog breeds (like pugs, boxers, shi tzus, english bulldogs, etc.) are MUCH more susceptible to heatstroke than dogs with normal length muzzles. Black dogs with slick coats are somewhat more susceptible than are white longhaired dogs because the coat helps to insulate from the heat somewhat and the white reflects the heat rather than absorbing it. Because dogs cannot rid themselves of heat easily, they should not be worked during extremely hot times of the day (unless they are swimming). Don't forget that pavement gets extremely hot and a dog's pads can easily blister walking over it. I learned that one the hard way by blistering my poor bloodhound's feet on a jogging path. Keep 'em in the shade or on the grass.

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If you have any favorite tips for staying cool for elders, youngers or pets, please include them here!

Moms Buddy , excellent source of information.
Amazing how I would fear power outage when I had the loved ones.Especially in the summer.For my self I am not as concerned but do become concerned for my cats as they are 15 and 17 years of age.
I do have a generator that I got for my husband.Used it twice.
When the power went of he never knew it.I did have a mattress that had tubes that you could connect to one another to prevent the bed from deflating.
Before the generator I has a battery operated fan I put around his neck.Als a battery light that was attached to the wall above his head.I would keep cold compresses on his head and around his neck to keep him cool.
It worked at a time when it was needed.
This is the time when many seniors get pneumonia.The worst time .
I have also frozen bottles of water and placed the ice in front of a fan
Another thing I did for lights was I purchased the out side party lights that run on battery.I would bring the coat rack in and hange the lights on it.Also, out side solar ligts can be used at night when the lights go out.
It is nerve racking to know what can happen if a loved one becomes hot and deyhdrated.
Remember, our elders do not feel the heat so they are at risk for heat stroke.
I also would put ice cubes in freezer bags and keep them for summer.WOULD ROLL THEM IN A TOWEL AND PUT THEM AROUND THE NECK OR FEET

Winter power outages scare me a whole lot less than ones during hot weather. But you include an elder in the mix and it is all hard. As long as the power holds, the weather will not be Mom's problem. None the less, she believes, "We never had AC until a few years ago. We will be fine." Not true. She doesn't "sweat" well now. PCP says that is not unexpected. She could easily overheat.

As far as the critters... Yesterday to old pony got a good scrubbing. All old winter coat gone, all old sweat, for now. I got the man at the farmers market to sell me some damaged watermelons cheap. I can't make the old horse or goat drink water, but they love the water melon. I put some watermelon out in the yard and the sguirrels were loving it. We should get a break tomorrow. No more 100's for a few days. back to the upper 80's,low 90's for a bit.

quote:

We do have ac, but if a hurricane comes this way, it can knock the power out for over a week.

NOW is the time to buy a generator! Even if you have to buy one on time, they are worth it! I keep ours on wheels so I can move it easily. I try to remember to start it monthly and let it run for a while. The oil has to be changed frequently and the gas must be fresh, but its operation and maintenance is actually easier than a typical gas lawn mower (for women who think they couldn't handle a gennie...). When we have a power interruption here, because Mom is on an air matress, it deflates immediately. The power company has 1 hour to get it on, otherwise I run a heavy duty extension cord to her room to power the bed, tv, lights and air conditioner. Even though the rest of the house is still without power, her life goes on uninterrupted. This was such a boon during the hurricane! When the heat became TOOOOO oppresive for the rest of us, I put a chair and a single air mattress in her room so we could go in and recover. She was Miss Popularity, lemme tell you!!

Yep - gennies are the way to go. They have become much more affordable. Many areas have special payment plans for seniors, etc., so please look into it!

Thanks so much for the tips. Where I live, in lower Alabama, it gets pretty hot. We do have ac, but if a hurricane comes this way, it can knock the power out for over a week.

Back in April, Mom told me to leave her in the car and go in Target to pick up a bridal present. I told her not NO, BUT H*LL NO.....I know better, although she said "I'll be ok". Back then it was in the upper 80's.

I see on the news about 1 time a week now, where folks are leaving children in vehicles, and going to jail because of neglect. I worry more about Mom's safety than jail. I don't care if ALL of the windows are down, she ain't sitting in a car, waiting on me to make a run!!!

Good tips on pets too. Mine are both inside pets.

also goats, ok, not many have goats, but all outside critters need extra attention. A shady place, water changed out every day. (not just topped off. Freeze several liter pop bottles for the pups. throw one in the water dish. one in the shade area and one out to play.

Remember the parasol? Use an umbrella to provide shade for yourself and your elder when going out.