The pattern of British summers has changed. Heat that once turned up every few years now arrives more often and lasts longer, settling over towns and cities where brick, glass and traffic keep temperatures up well into the night.
For most of us, that means a few uncomfortable days. For a neighbour in her late eighties, living alone on the top floor of a south-facing block, it can be genuinely dangerous. Older bodies shed heat less efficiently, register thirst later, and take longer to recover. A little planning before the heat arrives does far more good than rushing about once the thermometer climbs.
Who Needs a Second Look
Not everyone over 65 is equally at risk. The people to watch most closely are those who are frail, live alone, or have conditions that make heat harder to handle: heart and lung disease, dementia, diabetes, kidney problems, Parkinson's. Some medicines, including diuretics and certain drugs for depression or high blood pressure, can affect sweating and fluid balance. Never suggest that someone stops a prescription because of the weather. If you have concerns, the GP or pharmacist can advise.
Housing matters too. A top-floor flat, or any room with a single window facing south or west, can sit several degrees warmer than the street below. Insulation cuts both ways: the same walls that hold warmth in January hold it in July. So does a lifetime habit of keeping windows shut and curtains drawn for privacy, which is exactly the wrong instinct in a heatwave.
Before the Heat Arrives: A Two-Day Prep
Most of the work is done in advance, when nobody is yet uncomfortable. If a hot spell is forecast, spend an hour on the following.
- Fill two or three bottles with water and chill them, so a cold drink is always within reach.
- Move a comfortable chair, and if possible the bed, into the coolest room in the home.
- Check the freezer has ice, ice lollies or a tub of ice cream, and that the fridge is working properly.
- Stock food that needs no cooking: bread, cheese, yoghurt, fruit, tinned fish, salad.
- Find the fan, dust it down and check the cable and plug for damage.
- Make sure windows open and close easily, and that any window keys are where they can be found.
- Put a room thermometer somewhere it can be read from the armchair.
- Write a short list of numbers in large print by the phone: GP, pharmacy, a family member, NHS 111.
Keeping the Home Cool
During the day, close windows and draw curtains or blinds on the sunny side of the home. Open them again in the evening, once the outside air is cooler than the air indoors. On ground floors, weigh up the security risk before leaving windows wide open overnight; a locked window on a vent setting is better than a hot, sealed room.
What actually helps
Fans move air about, which helps sweat evaporate, but they do not cool a room. In very high temperatures a fan pointed directly at someone for hours can add to the strain, so use it to keep air moving rather than as a personal blast. A bowl of ice in front of a fan gives a little relief. Cool, damp cloths on the back of the neck, wrists and forehead work well, as does a lukewarm shower or a basin of cool water for the feet.
Cut down on heat sources indoors. Use the microwave or kettle instead of the oven, keep lights off where you can, and switch off appliances that are not in use.
Drink, Eat, and Don't Wait to Be Thirsty
Thirst becomes an unreliable signal with age, so offer drinks rather than asking whether someone wants one. Water, squash, tea and milk all count. Alcohol and large amounts of strong coffee do not help. Small amounts offered often are easier to manage than a large glass left to go warm on the side.
Food can carry fluid too: soup, fruit, yoghurt, jelly and salad all add to intake. Heavy hot meals sit badly in the heat. A useful exception to all this is anyone whose doctor has told them to limit fluids because of heart or kidney failure; if that applies, follow the medical advice and check with the GP rather than assuming the usual rules apply.
Knowing When It's Serious
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are not the same thing, and the difference matters.
- Heat exhaustion brings headache, dizziness, nausea, cramp, heavy sweating and a fast pulse. Move the person somewhere cool, loosen clothing, give cool drinks, cool the skin with water and a fan, and stay with them until they improve.
- Heatstroke is an emergency. The signs include skin that is hot and may be dry, confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech, a very high temperature, and in the worst cases loss of consciousness or a seizure. Call 999 immediately.
While waiting for help, move the person to the coolest place available, remove excess clothing and cool the skin with water and moving air. Do not give drinks to anyone who is drowsy or unconscious. If you are unsure whether something is heat exhaustion or simply a bad day, NHS 111 can advise. Anyone with confusion, a sudden change in behaviour or a temperature that will not come down needs professional help, not a cold flannel and optimism.
Making the Daily Check-In Count
A vague "are you all right?" usually gets a vague yes. Specific questions get useful answers: Have you had a drink in the last hour? What have you eaten today? Is the flat feeling hot right now? Ask them to stand up while you are on the phone and tell you whether they feel dizzy.
In person, look at the room as much as the person. Are the curtains closed against the sun, or closed all day with the windows shut and no fan running? Is the water bottle full and untouched? Does the fridge feel cold? Is there a plate of food that has been sitting out? Note the small things: fewer clothes than usual, flushed cheeks, a slower answer than normal, a sudden reluctance to move.
Visit at two points in the day if you can, once around midday and once in the evening, since heat builds indoors through the afternoon and does not always fall overnight. A phone call is better than nothing; a knock at the door is better than a call.
A Checklist to Pin to the Fridge
Keep it short enough to actually use: coolest room identified; water chilled and within reach; curtains closed on the sunny side by mid-morning; windows opened once it is cooler outside; fan checked; light meals and no oven; one drink offered every hour or so; a midday and evening check; emergency numbers written out large.
Neighbours can share this easily. Two households on the same street can take it in turns to knock on a third door, which spreads the effort and means the visit happens even when one person is away. If an older adult lives near you, the single most useful thing you can do during a heatwave is to turn up.
Photo: 16692474 / Pixabay
