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January 26, 2009 Shop
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Posted: October 25, 2004 Practical CaregivingThe Cold Facts About Hypothermia in Our ElderlyIf the
temperature was any lower, he put on a jacket or coat. At night he used
an electric blanket, even when the temperature was warm and he had on
flannel pajamas. I decided that he must not be producing enough heat to
keep himself warm, but I didn't understand it. We didn't lose
power for any worrisome period of time while I was taking care of my
parents, but elderly people can border on hypothermia, and their
caregivers may not realize it. With these elderly, when the electricity
goes off or the weather gets cooler, they show mild signs of
hypothermia. Now I know that Dad was almost there a few times -- and it
wasn't very cold. Exactly what is
hypothermia? What I knew was that people shivered a lot with it and
other things happened to the body, but I didn't delve into all the
characteristics of hypothermia until now. I have seen
several definitions
of hypothermia, but they all seem to say the same thing -- it
occurs when the body temperature drops too low. Our normal temperature
is around 98.6 degrees F. When that temperature drops to 95 degrees F,
you should become concerned about hypothermia and get medical help
immediately. I didn't realize
the problems that could be associated with Dad's temperature, but his
temperature always ran low ? somewhere between 97-98 degrees. When he
was really feeling cold, it would even get down to 96 degrees. I should
have been more aware of hypothermia at that time, but I was so busy
taking care of Mom and Dad and didn't have time to research much of
anything. I hope this column gives you the information you need to
monitor your loved one's condition when they get cold. Any of several
situations can make the body temperature drop, but the elderly are more
susceptible because their bodies are getting old and tired. Things just
don't work as well as they used to work. Their temperature can drop too
low when it's cold outside and they aren't dressed warmly enough, even
though you would be very hot if you dressed the way they needed to be.
Exposure to cold water, sweating when the air temperature around you is
cold, submersion in cold water, some medical conditions, physical
problems, medications and malnutrition can all contribute to
hypothermia. A person with dementia may know they are cold, but they
don't have the mental capacity to understand how or when to get warm. The symptoms of
hypothermia usually develop slowly, making the elderly person with the
symptoms unaware of them. If you suspect someone may be cold enough for
hypothermia, the first step is to take their temperature. If it is 95
degrees or below, RUSH them to the hospital. If they have
several of the signs below and their temperature doesn't rise above 96
degrees, RUSH them to the hospital. Even a temperature of 96 can cause
an irregular heartbeat leading to heart problems and possibly death.
Don't procrastinate. Get help for them FAST. I should have understood
these things when Dad's temperature was 96, but I didn't. I was just
lucky that something didn't happen. Of course, if the
person has some of the signs below, and their temperature is normal,
the problems are probably from some other source. A doctor should
diagnose the problem even though it isn't hypothermia. The signs of
hypothermia to look for are: What if you are
in a blizzard and can't get to a doctor or hospital? There are ways to
warm the person, but also some things you should not do. First of all,
if you have a working telephone, call 911 for instructions. They will
connect you with someone who can talk you through what you need to do.
If you can't call anyone and are stranded, or need to do something
until the ambulance arrives, the following are guidelines to warm
someone with signs of hypothermia. If you live in a
cold-winter climate, be prepared for the times when the electricity
might go off. If you need to go somewhere in the car with your loved
one, make sure they are dressed warmly, their hands and head are
covered, and they have a scarf around their nose and mouth. Heat the
car before putting them in it, and have the necessities in the car if
you get stranded. Overall, do whatever you can to keep your loved one from
getting too cold. It can cause all sorts of health problems, including
death. A little prevention may save their life. © 2004 Pederson Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Commercial use, redistribution or other forms of reuse of this information is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of Pederson Publishing. ______ Please send me your questions, comments and issues regarding the practical side of caregiving at ASKJEAN@caregivershome.com, and remember to take advantage of our professionals and experts in the Ask an Expert section of our website. You'll find it in the left column on our homepage. |
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