Keeping Cool and Carrying On: Trying Not to Moan About the Weather
With summer well underway and temperatures rising, it is the perfect time to talk about the weather. We are British, and we will talk about the weather at any given opportunity. It’s too cold, it’s too wet, it’s too dry, it’s the wrong type of snow, it’s too hot. We shouldn’t moan, but I’m just going to say it. It is too hot.
I know we don’t get much of a summer; I know that I should be grateful that it isn’t raining, but frankly, I’d give my right arm to get caught in a heavy downpour right now, and I’m not even sorry for saying it.
I will admit that if I were lying by a pool with a G&T in hand, I would not be complaining about the heat. However, looking after our residents and keeping them well and comfortable is a challenge when the mercury rises this high.
We do look forward to summer; it brings bright days and the chance to enjoy our lovely gardens, but extreme heat can be a real challenge. It is not just about handing out ice lollies, though they are certainly popular! Keeping cool in a care home involves careful planning, understanding the unique needs of our residents, especially those living with dementia or cared for in bed, and ensuring our hardworking teams are well looked after too.
As we age, our bodies naturally become less efficient at regulating temperature. The ability to sweat decreases, and we may not feel thirsty even when our bodies desperately need fluids. This makes our residents particularly vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and in our care homes, we cannot afford to wait for someone to tell us they are struggling.
Instead, we weave hydration and cooling strategies into the very fabric of our daily routines. This means regular rounds with cold drinks, offering fluid-rich foods like melon, cucumber and yoghurt, and keeping a close eye on the temperature in bedrooms and communal areas throughout the day.
We pay special attention to medication. Some common prescriptions, including certain antidepressants, antihistamines, and blood pressure tablets, can affect how the body responds to heat or increase the risk of dehydration. Our care teams work closely with medical professionals to monitor these risks and adjust care plans accordingly, particularly during periods of extreme heat.
The UK Health Security Agency issues Heat-Health Alerts in partnership with the Met Office during summer, and our teams know to act on these promptly. We have our heatwave plans reviewed and ready well before June each year, because preparation is everything.
Supporting Residents Living with Dementia During a Heatwave
When it comes to our residents who are living with dementia, the summer heat presents a whole new set of challenges. Dementia can affect the part of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature, meaning a person may not realise they are overheating. They might also struggle to communicate their discomfort, fail to recognise the sensation of thirst, or simply forget to drink the glass of water sitting right in front of them.
Beyond the physical risks, environmental changes, including extreme weather, can significantly impact mood and behaviour; we all get a little hot and bothered from time to time. Heat can increase confusion, agitation, and frustration. As the temperature rises, so does the potential for emotional dysregulation. It is something our care teams understand deeply, and it shapes everything from how we structure activities to how we set up our communal spaces.
Keep Cool and Carry On
The environment plays a huge role in keeping residents comfortable. We close windows, blinds, and curtains during the hottest parts of the day, particularly in south-facing rooms, to block out the sun's heat. Fans are used to circulate air, positioned carefully to avoid blowing directly onto residents, which can cause discomfort or distress.
For someone living with dementia, a sudden change in environment can be unsettling. So, when we need to move a resident to a cooler room, we do so calmly and gently, perhaps framing it as an invitation to enjoy a different activity or a change of scenery. Our teams know our residents well and understand the best approach for each individual.
Time for a Drinking Game
Hydration is crucial, but simply handing a glass of water to someone living with dementia is not always effective. They might forget to drink it, not recognise what it is for, or refuse it without being able to explain why.
We get creative. We offer drinks in brightly coloured cups that are easy to see and hold. We set up hydration stations with visually appealing fruit-infused waters and herbal cordials. Our activities become focused around drinking games or virtual travel experiences with plenty of water-rich food and drinks to sample from far-flung places. And yes, ice lollies and ice cream play a genuinely important role! Offering a variety of fluid-rich snacks throughout the day, including jelly, melon, soup and smoothies, is the best way to boost water intake without it feeling like a chore or a medical intervention.
Dressing for the Weather
A resident living with dementia might prefer to dress according to routine rather than the weather, perhaps pulling on a heavy jumper on a sweltering morning. Our team gently assists with wardrobe choices, laying out lightweight, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing made from natural, breathable fibres like cotton.
If a resident is resistant to changing, we use gentle persuasion rather than confrontation. Perhaps we offer a 'new' summer outfit as something special, or we simply ensure they are in the coolest part of the home while we try again a little later. Patience and kindness go a long way.
Cared For in Bed
Keeping our bedrooms cool is a priority during the summer months. Again, we use a routine of letting in fresh air during the cooler parts of the day and closing windows and curtains during the hottest. We use lightweight bedding and bedside fans and ensure that water is refreshed often; nobody wants to drink warm water. Our care team visits resident rooms regularly to check on their wellbeing, to ensure that they are comfortable, and offer fluids and water-filled snacks.
Our Team Get Hot Too
Our care teams are the heartbeat of RDCP Care. They work so hard to make sure that our residents are safe and happy but working in a care home during a heatwave is physically demanding. We cannot provide exceptional care to our residents if our teams are exhausted and overheating, and we take their welfare just as seriously as that of our residents.
Hydration and Rest
Just as we monitor our residents, we monitor our staff. There is always a plentiful supply of cold, fresh water available in staff rooms and at nursing stations, and we actively encourage our teams to take regular hydration breaks throughout their shifts.
We also review break schedules during extreme heat. Where possible, we encourage more frequent, shorter breaks in designated cool areas, giving staff the chance to rest, rehydrate and recover before heading back out onto the floor.
Training and Awareness
Knowledge is power. We provide ongoing training for our staff on recognising the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, both in residents and in themselves. Symptoms such as heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, pale skin, and muscle cramps should never be ignored. We do our best to create a supportive culture where team members look out for one another, and where speaking up about feeling unwell is always encouraged and never dismissed.
Adapting the Workload
We try to schedule the most physically demanding tasks for the cooler parts of the day. Heavier cleaning duties or assisting residents with baths might be planned for the early morning, before the heat builds. By managing the workload intelligently, we reduce the physical strain on our staff during the peak afternoon hours.
A Collaborative Approach to Summer Safety
Keeping a care home cool and safe during a heatwave is a team effort in every sense of the word. It requires vigilance, compassion, and a proactive approach from everyone involved, including families.
We communicate our heatwave plans to relatives and ask for their support. Families can help by ensuring their loved ones have appropriate summer clothing and by understanding if we need to keep residents indoors during the hottest hours. Their partnership means the world to us.
As we move forward with the integration of Monarch Care into the RDCP Care family, we are sharing best practices across all our homes. We are learning from each other and continuously improving our approach to summer safety.
The British summer can be wonderfully unpredictable, but our commitment to the well-being of our residents and staff remains constant.
We will keep the cold drinks flowing, the fans turning, and the ice lollies ready. Here is to enjoying the summer rather than moaning about it, well, at least for today.