In just the first weeks of summer, record-breaking temperatures are already being tracked around the nation. In sunny California, triple digit heat, which used to be an anomaly, is fast becoming commonplace not just in desert communities like Palm Springs, where temps recently soared to 123 degrees, a tie for the highest temperature ever recorded in the city, but all over the state including Sacramento, which set an all-time high of 109 degrees. As temperatures continue to soar, so too do the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
“No single type of weather event kills more Americans than extreme heat,” says Michael Tehrani, M.D. who serves on the medical team at Brand New Day, a Medicare Advantage prescription plan available in 16 California counties. “Too many people don’t take excessive heat seriously and don’t realize how it’s adversely impacting their health until it’s too late.”
In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says heat kills more Americans than hurricanes and floods combined, kills twice as many as tornadoes and four times more than extreme cold. Brand New Day advises its members to recognize the various forms of heat-related illnesses and take the steps necessary to avoid falling victim to them.
“Dehydration is all too common but can be avoided by drinking eight 8-oz glasses of water each day,” says Tehrani. “Heat exhaustion is more serious with victims experiencing nausea, headache, muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, blurred vision, vomiting, rapid weak heartbeat and excessive sweating. My advice is to rest in a cool place with your feet elevated and drink plenty of fluids, but not those with caffeine and alcohol as they will aggravate the condition.”
Another dangerous summer-related condition is heat syncope, which is characterized by sudden dizziness and loss of consciousness that can occur after being active in hot weather. Those taking heart or high blood pressure meds are much more vulnerable to this condition. To counter its effects, rest in a cool place, put your legs up and drink water until the dizziness subsides. Perhaps the most serious heat-related illness is heat stroke, which occurs when the body cannot cool itself down. Tehrani warns victims to seek immediate medical attention as any delay may result in death.
Brand New Day offers a number of specialty options in addition to its standard Medicare plan. They include the Embrace Plan for members with heart disease, hypertension and/or diabetes; Bridges Plan for members with dementia and Alzheimer’s; SelectCare Plan for members residing in community living, assisted living, long-term care and nursing homes; and Harmony Plan for members with mental illness including major depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and paranoid disorder.
For qualifying members, the plans cover transportation to and from medical appointments; vision, dental and hearing aids; 24-hour/day nurse and physician line; and health nurses and life coaches. In addition, members with chronic illnesses are not only treated medically, but in a variety of other ways including education about the member’s chronic or ongoing medical conditions and avoidable risks, nutrition, exercise, self-testing and monitoring, medication adherence to doctor orders, preventive care planning and linkage to community support programs.
Brand New Day's personalized approach is designed to keep its members healthy and independent and its team of caring healthcare professionals share one common goal -- to improve the overall well-being of each member by offering members "healthcare you can feel good about."
For more information about Brand New Day, visit BNDHMO.com or call (866) 255-4795.