Managing your exposure to the Summer sun and heat

Since we are at the start of summer, we wanted to remind our Medicare community to take precautions against the summer sun, heat and humidity.  When you are going outside during the daytime heat, be sure to:

 

• Drink plenty of liquids and avoid drinks with caffeine (such as coffee, tea, and some types of soda) or alcoholic beverages that actually take water from your body.  (Be sure to consult with your doctor about re-hydration if your liquid intake is restricted.)
• Try to limit your time outside during the warmest hours of the day.  Walk or work in your garden early in the morning (before 10 AM) or after the sun sinks enough to provide you with shade.
• Consider how you are dressed to best protect your skin from overexposure to the sun.  Be sure to wear a hat to keep your head cool and the sun off your face.
• Put sun-screen or sun-block on your exposed skin if you cannot avoid the sun.  Especially protect skin the burns easily, such as your nose or scalp.
• Get to an air conditioned place if you are staying indoors and still having trouble cooling down.  If you don’t have family nearby, try to get to a public place with air conditioning such as the local library, Council on Aging, senior center, shopping mall, movie theater, or your local place of worship.

And please don’t suffer alone.  If you are feeling ill from the heat or sun, let someone know - call a friend, neighbor, or family member who can help you get to a cooler area or assist you if necessary.

Looking out for the 2013 Hurricane Season

For those of you living in coastal areas, June 1st marked the beginning of what is forecasted to be a rather active 2013 hurricane season.  And to start the season off, Tropical Storm Andrea has already rained her way across some of the southern states and reminded us to get prepared for other upcoming storms.  Here are a few tips provided by the Florida Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders (found at: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/pubs/EU/disaster_guide.pdf):

 

• Learn about your community’s emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and location of emergency shelters.
• Be prepared to turn off electrical power when there is standing water or a fallen power line, or before you evacuate.
• Turn off gas and water supplies before you evacuate.
• Secure structurally unstable materials (building material, grills, and propane tanks).
• Buy a fire extinguisher and make sure your family knows where to find it and how to use it.
• Locate and secure your important papers, such as insurance policies, wills, licenses, stock certificates.
• Post emergency phone numbers at every telephone or save the number in your mobile phone.
• Inform local authorities about any special needs that you or a housemate has: for instance, bed-ridden or disabled individuals.
• Prepare disaster supply kits.  Stock your home, car, and workplace with supplies that may be needed during the emergency period (such as, food, water, prescription and non-prescription medications).
• If you are diabetic, be sure to have a means to keep your medications cool while traveling or during a power outage.
• If you have a pet, look for a pet-friendly shelter and have pet supplies ready.

Have a Summer tip that we missed and you want to share with other members of the Medicare community?  Ciick here and let us know.