By BRIDGET SCOTT
Vulnerable elderly citizens cool off to beat heat
COOLING off with ice-creams and air conditioning seems to be the most favoured option for the community’s elderly citizens this week.
As Victoria experiences one of its biggest heat waves since the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, some of the shire’s most vulnerable residents are doing anything they can to escape the sweltering heat.
Pakenham’s Millhaven Aged Care director of care Linda Austen said staff were doing everything they could to keep residents cool.
“We are making sure they have extra fluids and where there isn’t air conditioning, we encourage them to come to the common areas,” she said.
Ms Austen said they were also encouraging residents to remain indoors, and the number of activities run each day meant the idea had great appeal.
On Wednesday afternoon, residents were treated to a cinema session, topped off with ice-poles and ice-creams.
However, not everyone in the community has been able to indulge in such luxuries throughout the hotter days, and members from Ambulance Victoria are urging everyone to avoid the heat where possible.
Frail relatives as well as elderly citizens are among those who paramedics are urging others to keep an eye out for during the hot summer days.
Ambulance Victoria said the temperature would range between low to mid 40s across most of the state up until Friday.
Ambulance Victoria’s manager of Emergency Management Paul Holman urges everyone to act responsibly so as to avoid a catastrophe similar to that in 2009.
“The hot weather including high overnight temperatures in 2009 led to an extra 374 deaths across Victoria in a week,” Mr Holman said.
“People underestimate the impact the heat can have and need to respect the weather.”
Mr Holman said people should be aware of elderly and frail relatives who might not cope well with the heat, and encouraged people to remain indoors, without spending long periods of time in the sun.
“Avoid exercising or spending long periods outside in the heat of the day,” he said.
Ambulance Victoria activated its emergency response plan to the second highest level on Tuesday, in order to cope with any increase in calls this week.
All available resources across the state will be deployed to respond to the extra demand.
Mr Holman urged people to consider other options if it’s not a life threatening emergency.
“People should use medical services appropriately during the heat,” he said.
Between midnight on Monday and 4pm on Tuesday afternoon, Ambulance Victoria paramedics attended 35 cases of heat exhaustion or heat/stroke across the state, and were also called to five cases of children locked in cars.
