Monsoon Safety Tips For Senior Citizens: Avoid Wearing Leather Shoes

Here are some safety tips senior citizens should follow to avoid infections, falls or any unwanted incidents during the rainy season.

Monsoon can be a boon as well as a bane. While it brings the much-needed relief from the hot summer, it comes with a host of other problems. Rainy season can particularly be threatening for senior citizens, given their low immunity levels and reduced physical strength and flexibility. The wet weather favours the growth of bacteria and viruses, thus increasing the risk of infections such as common cold, flu, pneumonia, malaria and dengue. Not only elderly people are prone to monsoon-related illness, but they are also vulnerable to falls and accidents during the rainy season.

Dr. Karthiyayini Mahadevan, head of Health and Wellness at Columbia Pacific Communities, shares some safety tips senior citizens should follow during the rainy season to avoid infections, falls or any unwanted incidents.

Safety Tips For Monsoon

Dr. Mahadevan advises senior citizens to:

Avoid eating outside food, particularly raw food, as there is a chance of imbibing waterborne diseases.
Avoid eating spinach on rainy days as it can result in diarrhoea.
Eating fresh salads outside in hotels and restaurants should be avoided.
Wear footwear even at home to avoid cold peripheries. Elders already have impaired circulation. During monsoon, the tiled floor makes the peripheries even colder, which can impair the sensation of the feet, leading to loss of balance. The cold periphery can also affect the circulation to the organs.
Foot care is essential for people suffering from diabetes mellitus. Avoid leather shoes that can cause fungal infections like intertrigo of feet if not dried properly.
To avoid slips and falls, wearing waterproof footwear that fits well, specifically shoes with buckles, is crucial.
Check the weather forecast and accordingly plan the day. Always carry an umbrella when stepping outside during the monsoon season.
Always carry waterproof pouches to protect the mobile.
It is always better to boil and have warm water to avoid gastrointestinal illness.
It is always good to have warm water or a cup of tea or soup soon after returning home from outdoors on a rainy day.
Keeping the living room and bedroom dry is pertinent to avoid dampness and fungal moulds over the walls. This can increase the risk of respiratory illness when inhaled as droplets.
Elders staying alone in independent houses should keep in touch with their neighbours about their whereabouts, particularly when they step out.
Any wearable alarm watch can be handy if one is stranded outdoors due to rain. This will help seniors initiate any support chain in an emergency.
Always keep candles and emergency lights ready in case of a power shutdown.
Wearing an inner warm vest is always good to keep the body warm. Once wet, one must dry and change your clothes when possible. Until then, one must avoid air conditioners.