HJNO Jul/Aug 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2026 55 Melissa Brunvoll Marketing Director Assisted Living and Nursing Care Lambeth House tolerance. Additionally, many medications commonly prescribed to older adults in- terfere with hydration or thermoregula- tion. Diuretics, antihypertensives, anticholin- ergics, antidepressants, Parkinson’s medi- cations, and sedatives may increase sus- ceptibility to heat-related complications. Polypharmacy further complicates the clinical picture, particularly among medi- cally fragile patients living independently. Healthcare providers should also recog- nize the social determinants that influence heat risk. Many older adults avoid run- ning air conditioning because of financial concerns. Others live alone, lack transpor- tation to cooling centers, or experience social isolation that delays intervention when symptoms develop. For home health agencies and outpa- tient providers, summer wellness checks can become a critical preventative tool. Asking targeted questions about hydra- tion, indoor temperature, electricity reli- ability, and access to air conditioning may identify high-risk patients before a hospi- talization occurs. Helping Patients Stay Safe During Extreme Heat Education remains one of the strongest preventative interventions. Older people often underestimate their vulnerability to heat illness, particularly lifelong Louisiana residents accustomed to warm climates. Providers can reinforce the importance of: • Drinking fluids consistently, even in the absence of thirst; • Limiting outdoor activity during peak heat hours; • Monitoring for dizziness, confusion, or weakness; • Using air conditioning whenever pos- sible; and • Seeking medical attention early for concerning symptoms. Family caregivers should also be in- cluded in heat safety discussions. Adult children and caregivers may not recognize early signs of dehydration or may mistake symptoms as “normal aging.” Encouraging routine check-ins during heat advisories can reduce delayed treatment. Healthcare organizations themselves may also need to consider operational pre- paredness during extreme heat periods. Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and senior housing communities should evaluate emergency cooling plans, gen- erator capabilities, staffing protocols, and resident hydration monitoring practices during heat advisories or power outages. The reality is that extreme heat is no longer simply a seasonal inconvenience. Public health experts increasingly describe heat as a growing environmental health threat, particularly for medically vulnera- ble older adults. As temperatures continue to rise, healthcare professionals will play an essential role in prevention, education, early recognition, and intervention. For providers serving older populations, proactive conversations about heat safety during the summer months should be- come as routine as discussions about fall prevention or medication management. Early intervention may prevent emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and po- tentially life-threatening complications. n REFERENCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heat and Older Adults (Aged 65+),” CDC Heat Health, June 25, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/ heat-health/risk-factors/heat-and-older-adults- aged-65.html. Francesca Coltrera, “Extreme Heat Endangers Older Adults: What to Know and Do,” Har- vard Health Publishing, July 16, 2025, https:// www.health.harvard.edu/blog/extreme-heat- endangers-older-adults-what-to-know-and- do-202507163102. G. P. Kenny et al., “Heat Stress in Older Individu- als and Patients with Common Chronic Diseases,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 182, no. 10 (2010): 1053–1060, https://doi.org/10.1503/ cmaj.081050. AS EXTREME HEAT events become in- creasingly common across the Gulf South, healthcare professionals are seeing firsthand how dangerously high temperatures affect older adults. While the general public often associates heat illness with outdoor labor or athletic activity, older adults remain one of the most vulnerable populations — even when spending most of their time indoors. For clinicians, case managers, social workers, caregivers, and senior healthcare providers, understanding the unique physi- ological challenges aging adults face dur- ing periods of extreme heat is becoming in- creasingly important, particularly during Louisiana summers where high humidity compounds the risk. Understanding Heat Vulnerability in Older Adults According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults over the age of 65 are at significantly greater risk for heat-related illness because as the body ages it becomes less efficient at regulating temperature. Aging decreases the ability to sweat effectively, slows circulatory adap- tation, and impairs thirst recognition, all of which increase vulnerability to dehydra- tion and overheating. In practice, heat-related illness in older adults often presents subtly. Older adults may not arrive at a doctor’s office or emer- gency department reporting “heat exhaus- tion.” Instead, providers may see increased confusion, weakness, dizziness, falls, head- aches, fatigue, urinary tract infections, or sudden functional decline. In some cases, dehydration may mimic worsening de- mentia or delirium, making assessment more complex. Compounding the issue is the preva- lence of chronic disease in the senior pop- ulation. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal insufficiency, pulmonary disease, and cognitive impairment all reduce heat