Government gives a heated reminder

As the Australian summer begins to heat up, the Federal Government has issued a reminder to aged care organsiations to be vigilant during the heat.

“Aged care staff do a great job and are dedicated and committed to the care of older Australians, but it is important in heatwave conditions that they recognise residents may not be able to communicate their discomfort,” said Ms Elliot.

The Department of Health and Ageing’s advice says that due to aged related changes, older Australians do not always recognise that they are overheating and do not sweat as much as younger people. They are also more prone to heat stress because their body may not adjust as efficiently as younger people’s bodies to sudden temperature changes. They are more likely to have a chronic medical condition and to be taking medication that may interfere with the body’s ability to regulate fluid.

Reminders have been sent to organisations caring for frail older people who live in their own homes and residential aged care homes had been advised to carefully monitor the health of their residents during heatwave conditions.

Minister Elliot recommended that carers monitor the fluid intake of older people in their charge, offering small amounts of fluid regularly as well as alternatives such as jelly, ice cream and fruit ice blocks.

“There are other precautions that can be taken, including ensuring the temperature in their rooms is comfortable; wearing loose fitting clothing; offering tepid showers, and keeping curtains and blinds closed during the heat of the day,” said Ms Elliot. “These very sensible precautions should help to keep our frail and older Australians safe throughout the coming summer months.”
________________________________________
To view PDF (Portable Document Format) documents, you will need to have a PDF reader installed on your computer. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is available free of charge from Adobe’s website.