Two story house. Upstairs bedroom with window air-conditioner unit. She claims it is "noisy" , but it is not. It hums like a airplane ride. It is tragic to watch a person want to suffer. Me? I cannot "sleep and sweat", lol Wven if I pre-empt and cool the room, close windows while she is downstairs, once she takes the stairlift ride up, when I arrive, she has turned it off and opened the windows to let in the ninety degree air. Any suggestions?
As for Grandma, just because you are hot doesn't mean she is. Why oh why do we insist our comfort level is what everyone's comfort level should be? At work we have one gal who is always cold, and she is 32. So, on days she works we have to have the temp up higher than we do on the days she doesn't work. I wonder about her thyroid.
I used to wear layers when visiting Mom. Sometimes I ended up in just my bra! In the winter she had the thermostat to 90 and still be wearing a long sleeve blouse and blazer - and "very comfortable". In the summer, she would turn the heat on in the morning and forget to turn it off. It was stifling and she loved it.
I'm with Churchmouse - I can't stand the noise of a/c or the draftiness of it. On the other hand, I am a winter person, suffer from the heat, hated living in TX and FL. I have always been extremely sensitive to heat and sweat profusely to the point I am exhausted and have to take a cold shower. We have a lot of fans that run constantly (and that noise drives me nuts after a while). We run the window a/c in one room and I sit in there when I am overheating. In our camper, we run the a/c to cool it down, then turn it off. I simply can't function when it is above 85 degrees. It makes me grumpy too!
I am concerned about my husband. Although we both came from houses that had no AC in his condition I worry. He complained a few years back, when he was still verbal, that he was always cold. Now when I feel his feet and hands and they do seem pretty cold. The CNA suggested that the way if he is "comfortable" that I should feel his back just below the neck. If that feels "normal" then I should not worry that he is cold or hot.
Personally I keep the house a bit warmer than what many people do. I also dislike fans, I do not like the air blowing on me. A cool breeze from Mother Nature totally welcome but not a fan.
I am one of the people that regret not bringing a sweat shirt to the store or a blanket to the movies. (can't remember the last movie I saw though)
B4 you buy a deflector, try this:
Screwdriver in hand, (probably a phillips), step ladder/step stool, unscrew vent and rotate, and reinstall.
I did it for mom's bedroom, works perfectly.
It doesn't blow on her.
Blows on the sheers, and I have a table top oscillating quiet fan, not blowing on her either, but circulating cool air conditioning at 79 or 80. When it's 108 outside, 80 feels awesome. The electric bill ( oh, by the way, check out the rates with your electric company). If patient has a medical condition which demands the temperature in the house to be DOCTOR APPROVED BY SIGNING A FORM, you can get a good discount on the bill. I have SCE. it's worth the effort to check this out.
Mom's Sjogrens Syndrome plus scleroderma combined with Rayanaud's disease made us candidates for the special rates.
Anyway............ a ceiling fan?
M88
she may end up coming home if the gubmint rejects her.
Mom passed 6 months ago and Dad is now in senior living in an apartment he could have as cool as he wants.... this is what is confusing, he turns off the A/C so the room is now a toasty 80 with the outside temp creeping up to 100. Say what?
I don't know if he is subconsciously setting the apartment warm thinking my Mom is there or what. I know his caregivers try to sneak the A/C on so that they won't roast.
We keep telling him having it so hot isn't good for his health. Yet he will complain it is cold. Now, the ceiling vent, the air does bounce off the wall and down onto his recliner. We thought of moving the furniture around but then he would lose his window that he enjoys looking out from his recliner. Will try one of the plastic deflectors.
You are preaching to the choir with ALL of us with this question. Winter: her place needs to be 85, (electric heat so my bill is over $400) a long sleeve shirt, a sweat shirt, and then one or two blankets.
Thank God she has her own "area" in my house. I wear underwear and a tank top when I am in her place. (10 degrees outside) Her answer, "I am comfortable."
Summer: 103 degrees outside. No fan on, no air. Her place MUST be about 90 degrees. I walk into it and sweat is pouring down my back and neck before I reach the chair she is in WITH A BLANKET ON.
I say.............."MOM. I can't stand it in here!"
Her response, "I'm comfortable".
THEN I WILL TOUCH HER SKIN AND IT IS COOL!! Go figure.
Now that I am in her place, pretty much 12 hours a day, we have compromised. (and I run to her walk in tub/shower to cool off!)
Good luck, but let her be! it will NOT hurt/kill her. (On the other hand, if you stay with her in her room, it WILL kill you;)
Also, A/C removes moisture from the room, fans blow directly in one area or if they're oscillating move air in a limited arc range. There's more directed air movement from a fan than from central A/C unless you're right in front of a room unit or in front of or underneath a register for a central A/C system.
And remember that older people aren't as active as their sons and daughters. For some, most of their day is spent sitting; they're not up and about cooking, cleaning, and keeping active. They don't need A/C as much as we do.
Another device that does provide some cooling by virtue of its function is an air filter. And it could complement a fan by filtering out from the air minute particles and dust blown around by a fan, helping to keep the air more breathable.
I agree with others who've advised to let her keep her fan, and check her hydration.
My 93 year old mom was wearing a winter sweater tonight - it's still 93 degrees out and her room is miserable - of course she also has a cough from napping under the a/c a week ago when no one knew how to turn it off
If I say how hot I am she remarks that she can tolerate the heat better than me like I am a cry baby - she is pure Scandinavian and wasn't made for hot weather either
If you can get a fan that points up to the ceiling to move air out the window without it hitting her that might work - I don't like fans blowing on me either - my be I am a cry baby - haha
Problem if she sweats and gets a heat rash or dehydrated as noted above
Some meds don't allow their bodies to properly cool through sweat either
Whole house ac, her vent faces a wall. No fan, hates the wind hitting her.
I would lock the windows and place a quiet fan in the room, facing a wall to circulate the air,
What about a ceiling fan?
M88