Taking care of the elderly relatives in your life, is important. While many of them can look after themselves, keeping an eye on them as they get older, is a good thing to do. There are some issues that elderly people may have, that you may not even consider if you’re south of 70. However, for senior citizens, they are very real and should be taken seriously.
Some of these problems only appear in summer, so it’s important to chat with them about their concerns, once the weather gets hotter.
- The heat
It’s pretty obvious that heat becomes a problem during the summer months, but while for most, it’s merely uncomfortable, the hot weather can be very dangerous for older people.
As the weather gets warmer and heat waves become more common, it’s important for elderly people to make sure that they are staying as cool as possible. This could be as simple as taking a cool shower when they feel themselves overheating, or taking a bigger step by getting something like an air conditioning unit.
This is an even bigger risk as the weather gets hotter due to climate change, with temperatures expected to keep breaking records as the years go by.
- Loiterers
Loiterers, usually teenagers, are much more common in the summer months, and they can make elderly relatives feel unsafe at times.
During the winter, it’s likely too cold for them to hang around, but when it’s warmer, they can stay as long as they like, and often hang around late into the night. Though they are probably not doing anyone any harm, it can be intimidating for elderly people.
Installing an anti-loitering alarm, from somewhere like Mosquito Loitering Solutions, can really make a difference and provide older people with the peace of mind they need, knowing that they can use it whenever the problem arises.
It’s often said that teenagers don’t have a lot of places to go, but although this is an issue needing to be tackled, this doesn’t mean they have to hang around outside an elderly person’s house.
- Loneliness
There is a common idea of elderly people feeling lonely around the winter holidays. While this is certainly the case, it ignores the other occasions where elderly people can find themselves alone a lot more. Summer can be a long period of not seeing as many people as they are used to, for some older people.
Most people have many more plans in the summer than they do in the winter, and because of this, they often make less time for the elderly loved ones in their lives. Although they are probably not doing this on purpose, it’s a sad reality for some older folk and can lead to a lot of loneliness.
Making sure that you check in on your older loved ones throughout the year, and make regular plans to see them, can really tackle this. Even just picking up the phone, can really make a difference to their day.