Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
With record high temperatures for June hitting many parts of the Maritimes, some people have turned their attention to protecting the most vulnerable from the heat and humidity.
Staff at the MacGillivray Guest House in Sydney, NS, have been taking precautions for the comfort and safety of residents, many of whom are in their eighties and nineties.
“It’s not bad,” said Pauline Wadden, one of the residents at the nursing home who was outside enjoying games and conversation Thursday morning under a sheltered tarp. Temperatures in the Sydney area had already reached around 28 C by 10 am
“We offer hydration carts around the clock,” said staff member Kim Hooper, who noted that residents were strategically placed in an area with a cooling breeze coming from Sydney Harbour. “Staff are constantly monitoring the residents to make sure they don’t overheat. At night, they make sure the building is cool too.”
Volunteers at the Souls Harbor Rescue Mission’s new location in Sydney Mines were stocking up on bottled water and plenty of it.
“We have a lot of clients and guests that we serve who are very vulnerable,” said drop-in center manager Alana MacLellan.
With little relief from the elements for those who are homeless, staff at Souls Harbor have been asking the public to drop off bottled water to make sure they don’t run out.
“We’ve been getting cases of water from community members,” said MacLellan, “We’re so grateful for those, we’re putting them out as soon as people come in, and we’ve also given out ice packs together.”
MacLellan is also a registered nurse, and offered some advice on what signs to look out for when looking at someone in this type of heat.
“Lethargy – low energy,” says MacLellan. “Dehydration – we can look at our urine output to see its colour, and headaches. Headaches are one of the earliest signs of dehydration.
MacLellan noted that Souls Harbor locations in the Halifax area are also happy to accept donations of bottled water, along with sunscreen, sunglasses and umbrellas for shade.
Temperatures were expected to return to more seasonal values ​​on Friday.
Click here for photos of the high temperature.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/workers-volunteers-care-of-most-vulnerable-in-maritimes-heat-dome-1.6934971
