With an orange heat alert in place in the South, care services are stepping up visits to ensure older people stay safe, while Luxembourg's strict criteria mean the official National Heatwave Plan has not been activated despite recent high temperatures.
MeteoLux issued an orange alert for Tuesday and Wednesday due to high temperatures, which can be particularly dangerous for older individuals. For this reason, care services pay special attention during their visits in the summer.
Cristina Oliveira, a home care worker, explained that during these hot days she checks that people drink enough, ventilate their rooms, and avoid standing in places such as sunlit balcony windows where they could be directly exposed to heat.
However, not everyone receives home visits from care services. The National Heatwave Plan provides for checks on elderly, vulnerable individuals who live alone. In cooperation with the Luxembourg Red Cross, it foresees home visits to the older population in the event of extreme heat, but despite several heatwaves in recent years, the plan has not been activated for some time.
An authority from the health sector explained that in Luxembourg, a red alert, which would activate the plan, requires very specific conditions: a maximum temperature above 35°C combined with a 24-hour average above 23°C from the previous day. In addition, hospitals must report a certain number of dehydration-related admissions among older people, she said. She noted that if these criteria are met, the Director of Health issues an official order to start home visits.
Under the current rules, only people over 75 are eligible for such visits, and even then, age alone is not enough, as other vulnerability criteria must also be met.
During this week's hot spell, Ms Eeman, a care service client, said she was glad the carers stopped by during the hottest days, especially since she cannot leave her home. She added that the visits also lift her spirits – they share a laugh – and then the carers are on their way again.
Health officials stress that it is not only older people who should adapt their behaviour during intense heat. They advise everyone to drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day, stay out of the sun as much as possible between 11am and 9pm, and keep blinds and windows closed during the day to prevent indoor heat build-up.
Further information can be found on the Luxembourg Red Cross website.
