Keeping your parents cool during a heatwave

Reviewed by: Dr Jackie Gray, Public Health Expert and Retired GP
(Carents Trusted Reviewer Programme – Last reviewed June 2026)

One of the trickier things about hot weather is knowing when to worry. Heat-related illness in older people does not always announce itself clearly. What might be heat exhaustion can look like confusion, tiredness, dizziness, or simply an off day. The heat connection may not feel obvious at all.

That matters. It means that trying to match a specific list of symptoms can actually mislead you: if the signs are not textbook, you may not act when you should.

What tends to matter more is noticing change. During hot weather, stay alert to anything that seems different, even if you cannot immediately put a name to it.

Things to watch for include:

• Feeling generally unwell without an obvious cause
• Dizziness, faintness, or unsteadiness
• Confusion, unusual behaviour, or a mood change that feels out of character
• Muscle cramps, particularly in the legs, alongside intense thirst
• Reduced urine output
• Swollen ankles or stomach discomfort
• Looking flushed, clammy, or unusually pale

None of these point definitively to heat alone. Several are common to many other conditions. In older people, that is normal. The heat connection may only become clear in hindsight. It does not matter: if something feels off during a hot spell, that is enough reason to act.

If you are at all worried, call NHS 111. You do not need certainty.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Call 999.

Heatstroke occurs when the body can no longer cool itself down. In older people, this may not look as dramatic as you might expect. The clearest signs to act on are significant confusion, disorientation, or loss of consciousness in someone who has been in the heat. Do not wait to see whether things improve.

While waiting for the ambulance:

• Move your parent somewhere cooler if possible
• Spray or sponge with cool water, and use a fan to help if the room temperature is below 35°C
• Place cold packs on the neck, armpits, and groin
• Encourage cool fluids if they are conscious and able to swallow
• Do not give aspirin or paracetamol

Call 999 immediately if you see these signs. While waiting for help, move your parent to a cool place and try to lower their temperature with whatever is available.

It's important to understand that high temperatures can also worsen existing health conditions, sometimes with serious consequences.

People with conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney problems or who are on certain medications may not just be vulnerable to heat in general, they may experience a worsening of their underlying illness during a heatwave. 

This happens because when the body tries to cool itself down, it puts additional strain on organs that may already be under pressure. For example, people with heart disease may find it harder to maintain adequate blood flow, leading to chest pain or even heart failure. 

Similarly, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma may struggle to breathe as hot air, pollution, and dehydration combine to inflame the airways and reduce oxygen intake.

Those with kidney disease or diabetes are at increased risk of acute kidney injury when dehydrated in hot weather, as the kidneys become less effective at regulating body fluids.

During a heatwave, health experts recommend keeping indoor temperatures below 26°C where possible, and certainly below 32°C. Above these thresholds, the risk of heat-related illness rises significantly for older people.

Other thresholds worth knowing:

• Rooms above 26°C during the day need active cooling measures
• Bedrooms above 24°C at night can disrupt sleep and increase cardiovascular strain

These thresholds come from UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) Heat Health Alert guidance. During a heatwave, UKHSA issues alerts at four levels. A Level 3 alert means temperatures have been forecast to reach 30°C during the day and 15°C overnight for at least two consecutive days. At this level, the most vulnerable people need active monitoring. A Level 4 alert indicates a national emergency, with temperatures likely to have a significant impact on health services. You may hear these levels on the news or see them in NHS communications during a prolonged hot spell.

Some homes cool down more easily than others. A north-facing room or a lower floor is often naturally cooler. If there is a choice, it may be worth thinking about where your parent spends most of their time during the hottest part of the day.

Windows and curtains

Keep windows and curtains closed on the side of the house that gets direct sun during the day. Open windows in the cooler parts of the home, and in the evening once the outside temperature drops. Where there are windows on opposite sides of a room, opening both creates cross-ventilation that draws heat out more effectively.

Fans

A fan alone moves air around rather than cooling it. To make a fan more effective, place a bowl of ice or cold water in front of it. Positioning a fan to push hot air out of an open window, rather than recirculating it into the room, also helps.

Cold cloths and cold packs

Cold cloths or ice packs wrapped in a towel applied to pulse points (wrists, back of the neck, inside the elbows and knees) can lower body temperature. One carent in the Lounge described filling a hot water bottle with cold water and keeping it nearby throughout the day.

Clothing and bedding

Thin, loose cotton clothing is cooler than synthetic fabrics. At night, a single cotton sheet may be more comfortable than a duvet. Nightwear matters too.

Rest and reducing exertion:

Where possible, encourage rest in the coolest room during the hottest part of the day, usually between 11am and 3pm. Physical exertion raises body temperature, so routine activities such as gardening, longer walks, or household tasks are better suited to the cooler parts of the day, early morning or evening.                          

Cooling the body directly                                  

A cool shower, bath, or body wash can bring body temperature down quickly. If a full shower or bath is not practical, a cool flannel or sponge wash works well. Splashing cool water on the face and the back of the neck often offers immediate relief. Lightly sprinkling cool water onto clothing while it is being worn can also help, particularly when going outside is unavoidable.                

Cold food                                                                      

Cold food helps keep the body cool as well as contributing to fluid intake. Salads, chilled fruit, and cold soup are useful options during hot weather, particularly for anyone who has lost their appetite in the heat. Ice lollies and cold fruit-based desserts serve a double purpose. For more on food and drink options in hot weather, see the Hydration section below.

It is easy to forget this one when the focus is on keeping your parent cool indoors. If they do go outside, sun exposure itself is a risk worth managing.

The guidance is straightforward: avoid being in direct sun between 11am and 3pm where possible, and keep any time sitting outside in the sun to around 20 minutes before moving into shade or indoors. Older skin is more susceptible to burning, and sunburn adds to the body's heat burden at exactly the wrong time.

Sunscreen matters. A high-SPF sunscreen should be applied before going outside and reapplied regularly. It is worth keeping some to hand rather than relying on your parent to think of it themselves.

A hat and light, long-sleeved clothing can offer additional protection without adding warmth, particularly during the middle of the day.

Older people tend to drink less because the sensation of thirst often diminishes with age. Dehydration can set in before your parent feels thirsty at all.

During hot weather, fluid intake matters more than usual. The standard guidance is six to eight glasses of fluid a day, and more in a heatwave. For many older people, getting to even that baseline can be a daily challenge. Carents describe the experience regularly: offer water and get a look that suggests you have proposed something deeply unreasonable.

A few things that tend to help:

• Small amounts, often. A full glass can feel like a task. A smaller amount every hour is often easier to accept.

• Variety. Water is not the only option. Squash, diluted juice, milk, cold tea, herbal tea, and soup all count. Decaffeinated tea is preferable for those who drink a lot of tea.

• Food-based fluids. Jelly, ice lollies, yoghurt, custard, fruit with high water content (melon, cucumber, strawberries), and chilled soup all contribute to fluid intake. One carent in the Lounge described making jelly as a way to get fluids into a parent who would not drink anything.

• Electrolytes. In hot weather, people lose mineral salts through sweating as well as water. Coconut water contains electrolytes and some carents have found it more acceptable than plain water. Rehydration sachets from a pharmacy serve the same purpose.

• Cold treats. An ice lolly or a small ice cream can be a genuinely useful way to deliver fluids in hot weather, and one that tends not to feel like medicine.

If your parent becomes confused, unusually drowsy, or shows signs of dehydration, this warrants urgent attention.

For a full guide to recognising and responding to dehydration, read our Dehydration guide.

Heat can affect some medications in ways that are not always obvious. If your parent is on regular medication, it is worth checking with their GP or pharmacist whether any adjustments are needed during hot weather.

Medications that can be particularly affected include:

• Diuretics (water tablets), which can cause or worsen dehydration in hot weather
• Blood pressure medication, which can become more effective in the heat and may cause blood pressure to drop too low
• Metformin (used for Type 2 diabetes), which may need to be temporarily paused on medical advice during periods of significant fluid loss
• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, which can put strain on kidneys that are already under pressure from low fluid intake
• Lithium and certain antiepileptic drugs, which can reach unsafe levels more quickly when fluid intake drops
• Anticholinergic medications, which can impair sweating and raise the risk of overheating

Some patients on certain combinations of medicines are given a Sick Day Rules plan, which advises on temporary adjustments during illness or periods of high heat. If your parent does not have one, it may be worth asking their GP whether one would be appropriate.

Most medicines should be stored below 25°C, in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Windowsills and surfaces that catch the sun are not suitable, even if they usually seem fine. Medicines should only go in the fridge if the instructions specifically say so.

Some devices are worth particular attention during a heatwave. Inhalers can be affected by high temperatures, and some emergency medications, including EpiPens, may not work as expected if they have been exposed to excessive heat. If your parent relies on devices like these, it is worth checking where they are being stored and making sure they are kept somewhere consistently cool.

If you are unsure whether any of your parent's medicines have been stored correctly during a hot spell, a pharmacist can advise.

See also: Medication Guides

For people living with dementia, a heatwave can introduce specific risks that are worth understanding.

Dementia can affect the body's ability to regulate temperature. A parent with dementia may not recognise that they are too hot or feel the urge to do anything about it. They may continue to wear warm clothing, keep blankets on, or resist opening windows, with no awareness that this is putting them at risk.

Heat can also trigger or worsen confusion. A sudden increase in confusion or disorientation during hot weather is not always a UTI or infection. It can sometimes be heat-related dehydration or heat exhaustion presenting as cognitive change. One carent in the Lounge described their parent becoming disorientated during a warm spell with no UTI found on testing. If your parent seems more confused than usual in a heatwave, consider heat and fluid intake before assuming another cause.

Signs to watch for in someone with dementia during hot weather:

• Wearing several layers or refusing to remove warm clothing
• Unusual restlessness or agitation
• Drowsiness or being harder to rouse than usual
• Skin that feels very hot to the touch
• Refusing food and drink more than usual

See also: Confusion or Delirium

A care home environment can be harder to control than a private home. Upper floors or rooms facing south or west can become very warm in a heatwave, and not all homes have adequate ventilation or cooling equipment.

Things worth doing:

• Ask about their hot weather plan. A good home should have one, covering how often residents are checked, how fluid intake is increased, and what cooling equipment is available.
• Visit at the hottest part of the day if possible, so you can see the room temperature for yourself.
• Bring a portable fan. Inexpensive and often genuinely useful in a warm room.
• Check clothing and bedding. If your parent has dementia, care staff may not always notice that they are wearing too many layers.
• Ask about fluid monitoring. Find out whether staff are tracking how much your parent is drinking.

If you are concerned that adequate measures are not in place, it is reasonable to raise this with the home manager directly.

This is one of the most common challenges carents describe during hot weather. Windows stay closed. The heating stays on. Offers of cold water are declined. The duvet stays.

It is also harder to manage all of this when you are feeling the effects of the heat yourself. Most carents in this situation are.

Some of this comes from conditions that affect temperature perception. A parent with dementia, poor circulation, or certain long-term conditions may genuinely feel cold at temperatures that feel extreme to others. Some of it comes from long-held habits around warmth, comfort, and what home feels like.

A few approaches that can help:

• Avoid negotiating over temperature. Trying to convince someone they are "too hot" rarely works. Focus on specific, practical actions instead.
• Offer cold without framing it as cooling. "Would you like an ice cream?" often works where "you need to cool down" does not.
• Make small adjustments without comment. Drawing curtains, moving to a cooler room, or placing a cool cloth on their wrists can be more effective than a discussion about whether the room is too warm.
• Focus on what they will accept. If they will not drink water, find what they will drink. If they will not remove the blanket, try a cool cloth on the back of the neck instead.

If resistance is complete and you are genuinely worried about safety, it is appropriate to contact their GP or call NHS 111.

Call 999 if your parent:

• Has hot, dry skin and is not sweating despite being very hot
• Has a very high temperature
• Is confused, unconscious, or cannot be roused
• Has had a seizure

Call NHS 111 if your parent:

• Has signs of heat exhaustion that are not improving after 30 minutes of cooling
• Is refusing to drink and you are concerned about dehydration
• Is showing confusion you cannot explain
• Is on medications you are worried about in the heat
• Has any new symptoms that you are concerned about

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free national service offering additional support to vulnerable households, including during disruptions to gas or electricity supply. Extreme heat can put pressure on the national grid and, in some circumstances, cause supply disruption.

Being on the PSR can mean your parent receives:

• Priority support during a power cut
• Advance notice of planned outages
• Additional help from their network operator

Registration is free and available to older people, those with medical conditions, and others who may need extra support. If your parent is not registered, it is worth arranging.

See also: The Priority Services Register (PSR)

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