In the winter months, older adults with chronic disease face multiple health risks including respiratory infections that can get out of hand and exacerbation of circulatory conditions, according to this CMO.
In the winter months, CMOs at health systems and hospitals should emphasize patient education and make sure that older adults with chronic conditions take precautions to guard their health.
Older adults with chronic conditions face multiple health risks in cold weather, according to Gregory Whisman, MD, MBA, CMO of CareMore Health. (Carelon Health is changing its name back to CareMore Health in January.) These risks include respiratory infections that can cascade into problems in the circulatory system and vital organs.
CMOs at health systems and hospitals should make sure caregivers advise older adults with chronic conditions on how to avoid complications from cold weather, Whisman explains.
"It is cold and flu season, so the patient volume in emergency rooms goes up in the winter months," Whisman says. "Hospitals can get overwhelmed if there are also older adults with chronic conditions going to the ER for exacerbation of their conditions due to cold weather or infections that need to be managed."
There are steps that health system and hospital CMOs can take to ensure patient volume does not get out of hand.
"CMOs need to make sure they monitor turnaround times in the emergency department and utilize other avenues they have for low-acuity care," Whisman says. "They need to make sure they have beds available for older and sicker adults."
In addition to respiratory infections, there are several other health risks for older adults in cold weather, including individuals with circulatory conditions, according to Whisman.
"They get out in the cold weather, and the peripheral vasculature clamps down, which increases blood pressure, strains the heart, and runs the risk of dehydration as the kidneys filter out more fluid," Whisman says.
Fatigue is also a serious warning sign for older adults with chronic conditions during winter months.
"It is natural for older adults with chronic conditions to be a little lethargic; but in the winter, people should look for excessive lethargy or cognitive issues such as dementia," Whisman says. "These can be signs of serious conditions such as respiratory distress and sepsis, which require urgent medical attention."
Gregory Whisman is CMO of CareMore Health. Photo courtesy of CareMore Health.
Addressing cold weather health risks
There are several actions that caregivers and family members can take to address cold weather health risks for older adults with chronic conditions, Whisman explains.
"First and foremost, older adults and their families as well as caregivers should be on the lookout for labored breathing and shortness of breath," Whisman says. "These symptoms can indicate exacerbation of congestive heart failure as well as pneumonia and respiratory infection."
Caregivers and family members should encourage older adults with chronic conditions to moderate their exposure to cold temperatures and to avoid overexertion in the cold.
"If these adults are shoveling snow, they should wear multiple layers of clothing, gloves, and boots," Whisman says. "They should recognize that snow removal does not need to be done all at once. They should go back inside and warm up."
Older adults with chronic conditions should review their medication list with their clinicians in the winter because some medications can make people susceptible to health risks in cold conditions, Whisman explains.
Finally, clinicians should advise older adults with chronic conditions to pay attention to signals from their bodies in cold weather, according to Whisman.
"If these adults have been exposed to the cold, they should know it's OK for them to go inside and warm up," Whisman says. "If they have been shoveling snow and get fatigued, they should know it's OK to go inside and sit on the couch."
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
With patient volumes already high during the cold and flu season, hospitals can become overwhelmed when older adults with chronic conditions experience medical emergencies during cold weather.
Steps CMOs can take to handle this increase in patient volume include monitoring emergency department turnaround times and utilizing settings for low-acuity care other than emergency rooms.
There are several actions that caregivers and family members can take to address cold weather health risks for older adults with chronic conditions, including being on the lookout for labored breathing and shortness of breath.