Please check in on family members living with Alzheimer’s or other dementia! More than 580,000 Floridians are living with the disease and extreme heat can be an especially dangerous time for them. Taking measures to plan ahead can prevent injuries and help a person with the disease feel more relaxed and less overwhelmed.

The Alzheimer’s Association Florida chapters offer tips for families facing Alzheimer’s and other dementias to prepare for extreme heat conditions:

• Make plans to check-in regularly on a person living with dementia during extreme heat. Arrange alternative plans for cooler spaces, if air conditioning is unavailable, and make sure they dress in loose, light clothing.

• Dehydration may be difficult to notice in a person living with dementia, as signs like increased fatigue, dry mouth and headache may be difficult to detect.  Increased water intake is essential to maintaining good hydration and health during extreme heat. Know the signs of heat exhaustion to avoid heat stroke. 

• Pay attention at night. Keep people living with dementia cool by using fans and keeping the air conditioning on. At night, low temperatures can still exceed 75 degrees with little fluctuation in humidity levels, making for difficult and exacerbating sleeping conditions, heightened anxiety and increased agitation.

• Monitor the person regularly and seek medical attention if symptoms of dehydration or heat exhaustion last for more than one hour. High temperatures are not the only cause for concern. Humidity and air pollution indices can cause breathing difficulties.