Extreme heat dangerous for people with dementia, Oklahoma caregivers warn
By CJ Maclin
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TULSA, Okla. (KJRH) — Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease disrupt how the brain processes information — including the ability to recognize dangerous heat.
In Oklahoma summers, that disconnect can be deadly.
Wandering is already a common behavior among people living with dementia. Jim Herlihy of the Oklahoma Alzheimer’s Association said someone who wanders may not realize they are in trouble, even when they desperately need help.
Karen Warlick, who cares for her husband with Alzheimer’s, experienced that fear firsthand when he left their home in the middle of the night.
“It was like 4 o’clock in the morning. And he had gotten up, gotten dressed, he went outside and fortunately someone driving by noticed him down the street walking so they called the police and the police came and I was thankful that he knew to say his name,” Warlick said.
Last month, that fear became reality for one Oklahoma family when a woman with dementia died after getting into a hot car.
The Oklahoma Alzheimer’s Association explains the disease blocks the warning signals the brain normally sends when a person is too hot or in danger. Their surroundings may be deadly, but their brain cannot process that information or act on it.
About 80% of families dealing with Alzheimer’s in Oklahoma are managing care at home. Neighbors and community members are encouraged to watch out for those around them.
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