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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page paper that looks at two of the many dangers for the elderly living alone: heat and nutrition, with an emphasis on heat-related deaths. Of all natural weather conditions, including heat, tornadoes, hurricanes, lightening and floods, heat takes more lives each year than any of the others and seniors are especially affected. Another issue facing the elderly who live alone is proper nutrition. Both issues are discussed with statistical data, the emphasis is on heat-related deaths. Three alternative solutions are offered to eliminate the risks of both issues among the elderly. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MM12_PGeldht.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
do any other natural weather phenomenon. Over a ten year period, on average, floods killed 99 people, lightening strikes killed 58 people, tornadoes claimed another 57 and hurricanes took 14
each year (Colton , 2002). The average annual deaths from excessive heat was 193 and in 1999, there were 497 heat-related deaths (Colton, 2002). Many of those who died were
the seniors and elderly. This table illustrates the dangers of heat to those over 70. The percentage figure represents the percentage of the total number who died in that year.
Age 1998 1999 2000 70 - 79 44 / 25% 133 / 26% 39 / 25% 80 - 89 43 / 25% 106 / 21% 32 / 20% 90+ 8
/ 5% 23 / 5% 8 / 5% (Source: Colton, 2002). The data become even more serious when the 60, in 2000 alone, "persons aged 60 and older accounted for
68% of all heat-related deaths" (Colton, 2002). There are three major reasons so many elderly die from intense heat. First, many live in old homes that do not have
air conditioning; second, they do not have the money to pay for the continual operation of their air conditioning units; and third, they were raised in an era of conservation
and sacrifice (the 1940s and 1950s) and believe they should be able to live through it without using so much energy (Colton, 2002). Dr. Cheryl Phillips, a geriatrician, said:
"Heat and the elderly are not a good combination. As people age, their bodies begin to lose the ability to sense when they are thirsty or to bounce back quickly
from dehydration, she said. The very people who are most vulnerable to heat also often have a tradition of thrift and public spiritedness that might lead them to use less
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