The public centre in Madrid has implemented a specific procedure to prevent and treat the effects of high temperatures on the elderly, involving patients and families.
The Cruz Roja University Hospital, a public centre in the Community of Madrid, has activated a plan of action against extreme heat aimed at its elderly patients, coinciding with the arrival of summer. The initiative, driven by the Geriatrics Service, aims to anticipate the clinical complications that high temperatures can provoke in this population group.
The procedure, called the Plan of Action against Extreme Heat in Older People, is part of the Comprehensive Care Plan for Fragility and Promotion of Healthy Longevity in Older People of the Community of Madrid 2022-2025 and the Hospital Friend of the Elderly Programme, already implemented at the centre.
The measure is based on four pillars: prevention, specialised assistance for complications, staff training, and active participation of the patient and their family. The goal is to provide healthcare tailored to the specific needs of the elderly during episodes of extreme temperatures.
The plan also includes promoting research in this area, as excessive heat is considered a significant risk factor for fragility, dependency, and morbidity and mortality in the fragile elderly population, in addition to generating a significant consumption of resources and suffering for both the patient and their caregiver environment.
As support for the initiative, the hospital has developed a series of infographics with practical recommendations so that patients and families can easily understand the guidelines to follow during the hottest months. These indications complement the clinical care that the elderly already receive at the centre.
With this action, Cruz Roja Hospital reinforces its commitment to the health of the elderly in the region, a group particularly vulnerable to the heatwaves that are recorded every year in the Community of Madrid. The measure comes just as temperatures begin to rise, and an intense heat summer is expected.
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