Tips for Protecting Your Senior During National Sun Safety Week

June 3rd through 9th is National Sun Safety Week.

As a family caregiver, this is the ideal time for you to review sun safety, and make plans for how you will protect your aging parents from the dangers of the sun as the weather warms up. This can encourage you to spend more time outdoors having fun, enjoying quality time with your senior, and staying more active, while also protecting your senior and the rest of your family. While sun damage can occur at any time of year, people are much more likely to experience the dangers of the sun during the spring and summer when the weather is warmer, and the sun is more intense. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can experience negative effects of the sun’s damaging rays and as little as 15 minutes. This makes it critical you take steps to protect your parent no matter how long you plan to be outside.

Homecare in Springfield VA: Sun Safety Week

Use these tips to help you protect your senior from the potential damages of the sun during a national sun safety week:

Spend as much time in the shade as possible. While you won’t always be able to get your parent into the shade when spending time outdoors, scope out places where your parent can rest in the cooler temperatures, and away from the damaging rays, as much as you can. If you know there will be limited shade, or you want to prepare yourself for more shade, bring along an umbrella when you will be outside.

Cover as much skin as possible. Look for tightly woven clothing, and cover as much of your parent’s skin as you can. Look for clothing, especially swimming attire, that has built-in sun protection for even more protection. Keep in mind clothing that is not designed with this protection has the equivalent of approximately 15 SPF, so further protection is important.

Encourage your aging parent to wear a hat with a wide brim whenever possible. This will protect their face, eyes, and neck from the damaging rays of the sun.

Reduce the risk of cancer and other damage to the eyes by encouraging your aging parent to wear sunglasses when out in the sun. Look for glasses rated to protect against UVA and UVB rays, and that curve around the sides of the eyes. This provides additional protection from sunlight coming in from different angles.

Wear sunscreen anytime your parent will be out of the house. The sunscreen should be a minimum 30 SPF, and be applied even to skin covered with lightweight clothing.

Being a family caregiver I can be one of the most fulfilling and meaningful roles you can fill during your life. It can also be extremely challenging and stressful. You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed or as though there is more for you to do each day than you have time, energy, resources, and capabilities to handle. Fortunately, home care can help. Having an in-home care services provider with your senior on a regular basis you can take a step back and focus on other aspects of your daily life while still knowing your senior has all of the care, support, and assistance that they need.

They can step in to fill care gaps, handle potentially sensitive tasks you or your senior are not comfortable with you handling, and ensure you have more time and energy for responsibilities such as caring for your children, managing your household, maintaining your career, staying connected with your partner, and caring for yourself. Through this care, both your senior and you can enjoy a higher quality of life as they age in place.

Are you or a loved-one considering Senior Care in Springfield, VA?  Please call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. Contact: 703-273-8818

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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