Temperature Regulation and Hydration Often Inefficient with Age

Dear Carol: Even at 83, my mother lives comfortably on her own. She’s installed aging-in-place safety gadgets like grab bars, and as far as I can tell her memory and thinking are fine. What concerns me is that she keeps her condo heat at 78 degrees and still wears a sweater. She says her blood work is good and that while on the thin side, her weight is fine. Her doctor agrees that her weight is normal for her. I understand that being cold is common for older people, but I still wonder if something needs to be treated. It’s like her temperature regulator is broken. Some insight would be appreciated. – KA

Dear KA: As you mentioned, most older adults like warmer room temperatures than younger people, so this isn’t surprising. Still, since your mom might not have thought that this was worth mentioning to her doctor, you could suggest that she do so during her next checkup. She’s probably fine, but problems…

Continue reading on Inforum for discussion about how older adults can be healthy, yet still tend to be cold. We’ll look at dehydration during heatwaves, as well:

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Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores

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