Summer in FLORIDA can have sustained temperature in the high 80’s and 90’s. Extreme summer temperature can have devastating effects on seniors.
According to the National Weather Service, heat is the number one weather-related cause of death.
As a result of the natural aging process, older adults especially the elderly are heat sensitive and more prone to heat stroke and dehydration. As we get older, our body has more difficulty adjusting to fluctuations in temperature.
Heat Stroke and Dehydration come together, as heat stroke often follows dehydration. On average, more than 1500 people in U.S. die each year from excessive heat.
The Governor of Florida passed an Emergency Rule for all Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities to install automatic back up generators that will cool off the facility or part of it to below 80 degrees for a minimum period of 96 hours.
For more information about this new Emergency Rule or if you have cases related to this issue, please contact me.