Providers urged to create detailed plans for heatwaves in partnership with people who live and work in care homes as latest figures show the highest rates of death among the more than expected mortality rates in summer 2024 were aged 74-84 and over 85s.
Care home operators are being urged to move beyond basic temperature checks and embrace whole organisation “circle of care” planning ahead of this summer’s expected heatwaves.
Speaking at a session on preparing for increasing incidents of extreme weather at Care Show London , sector leaders and weather experts stressed that a traditional, top‑down approach to temperature control in homes was not enough to keep people safe in rising temperatures.
The Met Office has warned the UK will experience hotter and drier summers as a result of climate change, and the most recent government figures available show that there were more heat-related deaths than expected during the four heat waves the country experienced in the summer of 2024, and the highest rates were among those aged 85 and over (521 per million population), and those aged 75 to 84 years (111 per million population).
Former provider owner and director at session hosts The Outstanding Society Sanjay Gasiorski-Dhrona described his organisation involved residents, families, suppliers and staff as equal partners in a “circle of care”, co‑producing plans and communications for hot weather.
This included preparing clear, pre‑drafted messages for families about visiting times, steering them away from peak indoor heat in the middle of the day, and adapting activities so they do not rely on lengthy walks in gardens or other exposed areas, he said.
Mr Gasiorski-Dhrona added that robust records and continuity planning was paramount for providers, recommending fixed points on walls for temperature readings to show heat‑reduction measures have enabled facilities to stay within safe limits, which can be useful for Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections, and to identify which areas spike and need environmental changes.
National experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) explained the difference between weather health alerts, aimed at the health and care sector, and the National Severe Weather Warning Service, aimed at the general public. While alerts are issued days in advance, they warned that alerts and written plans only work if they are understood and owned by the whole team, and not left in a folder in the manager’s office. Deputies for key actions, regular training and multi‑agency exercises were all recommended.
Practical innovations suggested by members of the panel ranged from shifting laundry and kitchen shifts away from peak heat times of the day, to using cooling products, such as pet cooling mats, for people who sit for long periods.
