From: Bobby Crider, director of Griswold Home Care of Columbus and Bloomington
Columbus
Heat exhaustion can sneak up on you, causing increased body temperature, rapid pulse, headache and fatigue. If you don’t get cool, you’ll dehydrate, possibly suffer a stroke or, worse, die.
Of 8,000-plus heat-related fatalities reported annually in the United States, 36 percent are among those age 65 and older, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Heat-Related Illness Survey. Hospitalizations for heat-related symptoms increase for those over 85.
The founder of Griswold Home Care knew first-hand the dangers seniors face living alone; a parishioner at her Philadelphia-area church died from dehydration, inspiring her to start a company that could provide around-the-clock care in the home.
This July 30, on what would’ve been Jean Griswold’s 88th birthday, Griswold Home Care of Columbus and Bloomington honors her memory by encouraging those with elderly friends, relatives or neighbors to take five minutes to check in on them, particularly in very hot weather.
Studies show there are far too few professional caregivers for aging adults, a trend expected to continue for the next 10 years or more, so non-professionals play a vital role in keeping seniors safe.
Giving just a few minutes of one’s time to ensure a senior’s well-being can be highly rewarding. One might even save a life.
