HOUSTON — The heat is on here in Texas and it’s only going to hotter as the summer months roll in.
For the most vulnerable like senior citizens, the scorching temperatures can be dangerous or even deadly.
There are many different reasons why seniors go without air conditioning during the summer.
This summer the Houston Health Department fears there may be even more seniors out there because of Harvey.
For instance, on any given day you’ll find 80-year-old Edna Besiant and her friends playing dominoes in the Heights.
The ladies can spend hours playing the game to see who can earn the most points.
The game is also an excuse to escape the rising temperatures during the summer.
“Rather than sitting at home in the heat, definitely so,” Besaint said.
Luckily, she has air conditioning at home.
Besaint said, “Before I stopped working I was working of course, it wasn’t that important to me you could say. When the heat comes I can work a little overtime and pay for that high utility.”
However, she know many seniors her age for whom that’s not the case.
“Those of us who are seniors, we have that fixed income,” Besaint said. "I know I’m going to get X amount of dollars a month and I don’t have the X amount of dollars to pay for the high utility. This is a blessing for most people.”
In addition, Scott Packard, chief communications and public affairs officer for the Houston Health Department, said many older people don’t have or can’t afford air conditioning.
“Unfortunately every year the heat is deadly," he said. "That’s in Houston. That’s anywhere across the country.”
The fear is even larger now post-Harvey.
“With Harvey just occurring, with so many homes still not completely repaired; so many air condition units not functioning properly, yes it is a concern that it could be a bigger impact this year,” Packard said.
The department will launch its ‘Beat the Heat’ program in June which helps provide portable A/C units to people 60 and older.
This year they’ve launched a new initiative specifically to help seniors affected by Harvey.
“With Harvey just affecting so many people in our area we realized that a lot of that affect has to do with air conditioning," Packer said.
The goal is to help the seniors stay cool.
It’s a program Besaint is glad will help seniors deal with the hot summer months.
The health department also has 11 multi-service centers open year round where anyone can go to escape the summer heat.
To prevent heat-related illnesses, the Houston Health Department recommends:
- Increase water consumption. Drink lots of liquids even before getting thirsty, but avoid those with caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar because these can actually result in the loss of body fluid.
- Conduct outdoor work or exercise in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. Outdoor workers should drink plenty of water or electrolyte-replacement beverages and take frequent breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned facility. Those unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment need to start slowly and gradually increase heat exposure over several weeks.
- Check on the elderly. Take the initiative to visit seniors to look for signs of heat-related illnesses. It takes the elderly nearly twice the time of younger people to return to core body temperature after exposure to extreme temperatures. A phone call to the frail elderly is not sufficient to determine the condition of the senior or the home.
- Wear light-colored, loose fitting clothing that permits the evaporation of perspiration.
- Do not leave children, senior citizens or pets unattended in a vehicle.
- A wide-brimmed hat helps prevent sunburn as well as heat-related illness. Sunscreen also protects from the sun’s harmful rays and reduces the risk of sunburn.
- If the house is not air-conditioned, seek accommodations in air-conditioned facilities during the heat of the day: malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc.
- Take frequent cool baths or showers if your home is not air-conditioned.
- Electric fans should only be used in conjunction with an air conditioner. A fan can't change the temperature of a room; it can only accelerate air movement, and will accelerate the body's overheating.
There is a waiting list for these units but people can sign up by calling the Houston Health Department Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301.