Keeping Your Senior Parent Safe in the Heat
Senior Care Indianapolis
Our country is in the middle of summer, which can be dangerous for your elderly loved one. When your parent chooses to age in place, it can be frightening for you because you have no idea if they are okay. One of the best ways to ease your fears is by hiring senior care to help with daily activities and watching signs of overheating.
It is important to get out once or twice a day. However, a senior may want to avoid going out midday during the summer. Instead, opt for early mornings or evenings when the temperature is cooled down. Seniors don’t always feel thirsty like younger adults and may forget to drink water. Keeping your senior cool is something that senior care can help keep an eye on when a senior is living independently. It’s essential to get out when it’s cool and stay hydrated. A senior care professional can be there to intervene before they get hot.
Elderly loved ones may be on medications that reduce their ability to cope with heat or numb their senses, making them feel less thirsty. Some people may have chronic conditions that limit their feelings too. Whether you are a daughter, son, or senior care provider, looking for any adverse effects of the summer heat is crucial.
Encourage Them To Drink More Water
Even if they don’t think they need to drink, they do! Seniors may not feel thirsty like they used to or stop drinking if something is not within reach. You should ensure that glasses or water bottles are filled and near them. A senior needs more than one or two glasses of water to stay cool and healthy. Dehydration can make you feel dizzy, faint, and nauseous. Seniors may not realize the full extent to which the heat is affecting them.
Consequently, during heat waves, it is important that friends, family, and neighbors not only remind them but also physically offer them water. Due to neurological abnormalities, older persons with dementia may be unable to express their discomfort, putting them in a vulnerable position. Senior care providers know how to watch for signs of discomfort and dehydration.
Keep the House Cool or Find a Cool Place
Air conditioning, shutting curtains, and staying out of the sun during the hottest days are all great ways to keep seniors comfortable. Keep wet, cold cloths on hand or a cool shower or bath. During the warmest seasons of the year, several cities provide accessible cooling facilities. These are for individuals who do not have air conditioning or worry about using it too much for financial reasons. You may cool down for free on the warmest days at your local library, municipal building, or senior center.
Do Outdoor Activities Early
You may know that gardening is a healthy activity for your loved ones. But it can be dangerous when extreme heat. During the summer months, your senior should opt to go out before the sun is at its highest. Extreme heat makes it impossible to maintain regular habits. Allow yourself or your loved ones a few days off from gardening, walking, or working out. Consider hiring senior care if you need help.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Indianapolis, IN, please call the caring staff at Home Services Unlimited. Serving Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: (317) 471-0760
As a practicing Registered Nurse, Etelka was keenly aware of a void in quality patient care that could be provided in the home. She embarked upon a journey to develop a home health care agency that would exceed all expectations and become a trusted partner to physicians and patients.
A Distinguished Career From Nurse to Director of Nursing to President of Home Services Unlimited
Etelka’s distinguished career followed a logical progression to her position as President of Home Services Unlimited. She graduated as a nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Nursing (RN) in 1972 from Meshgorya University in the Ukraine, close to where she lived with her family. She married her husband Phil in 1973 and decided in 1977 that they would relocate to the United States to be closer to family and to come to this land of opportunity. With an eagerness to continue her budding career, Etelka sat for and passed her Boards in the U.S. in 1979.
A Love and Talent for Working with the Elderly
Etelka began her nursing career in the U.S. at Colonial Crest, now part of Golden Living, where she was the In-service Coordinator, the Director of Training and Education and Director of Nursing, a position she occupied for several years.
With a group of partners, she co-founded Adept Corporation, which operated group homes for the mentally challenged. The business was successful and in 1996, Etelka sold her share to return to her roots, caring for the elderly.
In January of 1997, Etelka opened Home Services Unlimited as a fully licensed business to provide home health care. In her quest to learn to do better for her patients, she had already obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) in May of 1990 from the College of St. Francis. As President of Home Services Unlimited, Inc., Etelka guides the trusted, experienced care model Home Services Unlimited uses to continue providing excellent home health care.
Giving Back to the Community of Indianapolis
Volunteering for community services is a high priority for Etelka. Her memberships include the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Executive Women in Health Care and the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Etelka has also served on the Board of Directors with Hooverwood Home, a highly regarded geriatric facility, since 1997 and as the President for 2005-2006. Through her community work, she has received several awards and accolades, including the Nora McFarland award in 2002, from the Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
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