The world’s increasing temperature levels are affecting not just the environment but also people — seniors, in particular. A study by researchers from the Human and Environmental Physiology Unit of the University of Ottawa cited the high risk of heat stress among people over the age of 60. Records show that seniors living in institutions, bedridden or living alone had the highest rates of illness and death due to heat.

1. Study: Older People with
Chronic Diseases Are
Prone to Heat Stress
Conduct Air Conditioning

2. The world’s increasing temperature levels are affecting not just the environment but also
people — seniors, in particular. A study by researchers from the Human and
Environmental Physiology Unit of the University of Ottawa cited the high risk of heat
stress among people over the age of 60. Records show that seniors living in institutions,
bedridden or living alone had the highest rates of illness and death due to heat.
Irregular Body Response to Heat
The American Society on Aging (ASA) points out that older people have changed
physiologies and this makes them more vulnerable to heat. For instance, they no longer
sweat as easily or as much as they used to. This means their natural cooling mechanism is
no longer as effective. Their slower mobility also hampers their efforts to stay cool,
especially when they’re living alone.
If seniors are not taking enough liquids, on top of that, they could easily become
dehydrated.

3. Dehydration Causes Physical and Emotional Problems
Dehydration among older people results in headaches, fatigue, slurred speech, agitation
and exhaustion, among other things. Studies also show that dehydration causes people, in
general, to have a slower cognitive response to their surroundings.
One study among women workers, for instance, found that when mildly dehydrated, their
mental agility decreased as the complexity of the problems they tackled increased. In
another study, researchers found that drivers' driving errors doubled when they were
dehydrated. If these younger test populations performed poorly due to dehydration, it’s
likely that seniors will as well, if not more so.
17-20°C: The Ideal Indoor Temperature for Seniors
The logical answer to avoiding heat stress and stroke among older people is to move them
to cooler locations. However, veering towards extreme cold is not good for seniors, either.
A study in Europe in 2014 documented how 88 women 70-years-old and above reacted
after spending 45 minutes in a chilly room. The researchers found that the long exposure
to cold slowed their muscle responses and movement, which included walking.

4. They also concluded that an indoor temperature of 17-20 °C:is ideal for the health and
comfort of female seniors. This range applies to male seniors, as well. To maintain this
range and ensure senior comfort, retirement facilities and family caretakers can install air
conditioning systems with thermostat controllers.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900329/
http://www.asaging.org/blog/older-people-and-climate-change-vulnerability-and-health-
effects
https://www.webmd.com/women/news/20120120/even-mild-dehydration-may-cause-
emotional-physical-problems#1
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/01/health/dehydration-body/index.html
https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/43/4/571/2812220
http://www.conductairconditioning.com.au