The dangerous heat and humidity levels have a local center reaching out to make sure senior citizens are safe. Nicole Dowling, Director of Community Health Services for CRIS Healthy Aging Center in Danville says staff members have been busy calling their clients….
{”Here in Vermilion County we’ve been reaching out to well over a thousand clients just to make sure that they are safe – that they have air conditioning, that they are educated on where the cooling centers are here in Vermilion County,” said Dowling. (We’re) just making sure that they know that we’re here to help them in any ways that they need.”}
Temperatures are expected to climb to the mid-90s this weekend, and heat-index readings (or how it feels when you combine the heat with the humidity) are likely to hit 105 to 115.
Elizabeth Steele, Communications Coordinator for CRIS, offered tips and things that seniors should watch for in the heat…
{”You need to make sure that you’re always drinking water, not just if you’re thirsty. If you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated,” said Steele. ”If you have a headache. I think sweating. You know there are a lot of tips like wear loose, light-fitting clothing. Make sure that if you’re going to be outdoors for an extended period of time try to reschedule those activities so they are in the early morning or late afternoon hours – not the eleven to four hours. Those are the hottest hours of the day.”}
[Fans were stacked and ready for delivery at the CRIS office in Danville Friday.]
The CRIS Agency has received lots of calls since their announcement that they were offering free fans for senior citizens who needed them….
{We’re looking for seniors that have no air conditioning, no source of cooling,” said Dowling. ”They can contact us, we do have a limited supply right now. So they can contact us and we can try to hook them up with a fan.”}
>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE: CRIS DID RUN OUT OF FANS ON FRIDAY, BUT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO DONATE FANS TO HELP IN THIS CAUSE YOU CAN CONTACT THE CRIS HEALTHY AGING CENTER IN DANVILLE. <<<<<<<
Those senior citizens who need one can call either the CRIS Healthy Ageing Center in Danville or the Urbana office to see whether any are available.
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This story written by Bill Pickett, News Director of Neuhoff Media Danville. Got a news tip? Bill can be reached at (217) 709-1245 or BillPickett@Neuhoffmedia.com.
