how to protect the most vulnerable?

France is experiencing, Wednesday, June 15, its first hours of heat wave. The temperatures recorded are sometimes 10 degrees above normal for the season. They are especially difficult to bear for the most fragile among us. In Mornant (Rhône), it was 33 degrees in the afternoon of June 15. Beyond the usual care, Fabienne Bontemps, a liberal nurse, takes care of the hydration of her patients. “We know that the elderly, often, are never thirsty. Even when it’s very hot, they are never thirsty, so you have to solicit them”she explains.

In this period of heat wave, caregivers are often on the front line. In Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône), the thermometer showed 34 degrees. Barbara Rozycki, ADMR caregiver, visited one of her disabled patients. His first instinct is to lower the blinds. With this strong heat, she watches for the slightest trouble in those she visits. “We observe them on their behavior, on their apathy, on the ease of speech”, says the caregiver. Precautions are necessary, because often the elderly are not always aware of the risks that threaten them.