Sweet Summertime!
Summertime, the season of hot days, cold drinks, and outdoor barbecues. I seem to count down the days from late winter to when its warm enough to enjoy the outdoors without a coat, jacket or sweater. So often the residents living in our care communities do as well.
We need to ensure that our residents are safe when enjoying the great outdoors. Many seniors take lifesaving medication that makes them extra sensitive to the sun’s harmful rays. They can receive a sunburn quicker than most because of certain medications they take.
A proactive approach to safety is necessary for enjoying the outdoor summer weather. Checking in with the director of nursing services at your community to find out if there are any residents who may have sun precautions due to medication or a certain diagnosis is the first step. Also necessary is ensuring that you have a strong sunblock lotion or spray for resident use AND to ensure the nursing director is aware of what is being used and if needed, (check your facility policy, state, or federal guidelines for this) they can obtain a physician order for it. Do not forget to re-apply the sunblock as needed if a resident spends a long time outdoors. If I had a dollar for every time a resident would tell me they were going outdoors to warm up from the indoor air-conditioning, I could be sitting on a hot beach soaking up the sun myself!
Speaking of needing to “warm up” outdoors. Many seniors have thin blood due to certain health conditions or medications they take. So, they get cold faster than younger people and may not feel the effects of the sun the way younger people do.
Community staff must monitor the amount of time residents are outdoors in the sun, heat and humidity, offer and re-offer sunblock and provide cold refreshing drinks often. Staff must also keep the heat and heat index in mind when planning outings and bus trips. Electing for early morning or late evening trips when the weather is cooler may be warranted. In days of experiencing extreme heat and heat index advisories, it may be necessary to cancel such outings until the weather is cooler.
Drinks that hydrate the best can be fruity flavored sports drinks containing electrolytes, iced water with fruit, lemonade, fruit juice and iced tea. Popsicles and frozen fruit bars are also good for hydration. The non-alcoholic fruity slushy drinks in a blender are a special treat; stay away from the alcohol kind on a hot day as that can cause adverse health effects for some people while outside in the heat and sunshine.
Hot weather treats are most enjoyable when sitting outdoors on the patio with peers, neighbors, and friends. Many of our seniors did this in the evening after supper to keep cool in the summertime. A great hot weather treat in the evening would be cold watermelon (or cantaloupe) chunks in a cup, an ice-cream bar or an ice cream sundae. These would all be easily served by having a cooler on wheels with the items inside to keep cold.
During the summertime, younger volunteers seem to be looking for easy, fun, and engaging jobs they can do to help out at the communities independently. I have had great luck in putting these volunteers in charge of offering extra drinks to the residents during the summer, providing porch visits, playing a game of corn hole with residents and passing out ice cream novelties from the cooler on wheels.
Whatever your summertime social calendar looks like, be sure to take the extra steps necessary to keep your residents safe and healthy while they enjoy the great outdoors. Life is always better on a warm sunny day!
Kim Mead, AAS, ADC, CDP, CMDCP
Senior Regional Director of Engagement, Gardant Management Solutions
NAAP Leadership Team
