Keeping Your Elderly Loved One Cool During the Dog Days of Summer

By James Hughes | August 8, 2025 |

Companion care at home keeps seniors comfortable and safe during hot summer days.

In most parts of the country, August is the warmest month, and often the month with the highest humidity, making staying comfortable difficult. The elevated temperatures not only make a person feel uncomfortable, but they can also create a safety hazard, and for the elderly population, the danger of consistently high temperatures is even greater. This is even worse for the elderly, and companion care at home can help.

How Heat Affects Senior Citizens Differently

Anyone can get sick from the heat, but the elderly often succumb to it more quickly than younger individuals for several reasons:

As a person ages, it’s harder for the body to adjust its internal temperature, and outside temperatures can make it more difficult for the body to maintain a healthy temperature.
Age often reduces a person’s ability to sweat, one of the key ways our bodies cool themselves off.
Some medications taken by the older population can make it harder for the body to cool itself off.
Other health problems can be aggravated by high temperatures and humidity, such as heart issues, kidney problems, and reduced lung capacity.
The elderly often don’t recognize when they are becoming dehydrated. Dehydration combined with high temperatures is very dangerous for the body.

How To Help Your Senior Stay Cool

While the obvious first thought about staying cool usually turns to the idea of staying inside and out of the heat, some seniors may have trouble staying cool in their own homes. For some, it’s because they don’t have a central air conditioning system or one that works well.

In some extreme heat cases, entire cities can have diminished electrical resources, causing “brownouts” where homes have their voltage reduced to prevent a complete blackout.

If your senior lives somewhere that doesn’t have a good, consistent indoor cooling system, here are five ways companion care at home providers can help her stay cool this summer:

Keep the stove off. Cooking not only warms up the house, eating hot food can increase body temperature as well. During hot weather, encourage cold or cool foods for meals such as salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.
Keep the sun out. The sun shining through a window can significantly increase the temperature of a room. Make sure your loved one keeps heavy drapes closed during the day to keep out that summer heat.
Encourage her to stay downstairs if it’s an option. If your loved one lives somewhere that has multiple levels, encourage her to stay in parts of the home that are the lowest, since heat rises and the upstairs of the home can easily be 10-15 degrees warmer than a lower level.
Make sure she’s wearing lightweight clothing that is breathable and allows air flow.
Keep activity levels low while at home. Go to an air-conditioned gym or senior center for daily walks and exercise.

Checking in on Your Loved One

If you don’t live near your loved one, talk to a companion care at home provider about making regular check-ins with your loved one. A companion care at home provider can assist with home chores, preparing chilled meals, and even offering transportation to air-conditioned environments.

A companion care at home provider will also notify the appropriate people if your loved one appears to be overheated and needs professional help. Knowing someone is regularly visiting to provide companion care at home support for your loved one can help you rest easier until cooler days are here.

If you or someone you know needs Companion Care at Home in Gulf Shores, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901

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James Hughes

Owner at Hughes Home Care

James Hughes is a graduate of The University of Alabama (Health Care Administration), the University Of Alabama, Birmingham (Physical Therapy) and is a Navy veteran.

He has three teenage children and are actively involved in their church and community – James coach’s youth football, basketball and baseball and serves at 3 Circle Church. He is a member of the Fairhope Youth Football Board and the Rock Creek POA Board.

It is his passion and commitment to providing quality and responsive service that has made their company the fastest growing home care agency in South Alabama.

He believes that being an independently owned and operated company gives him the flexibility to manage his business in a way that better serves their clients.

He understands that you have a choice of care providers and he will do his utmost to earn your trust.