AZ and feeling c0ld

Human beings have a system within the core of their brain called autoregulation, which regulates core blood flow, blood flow into the periphery, and other important physical tasks. As dementia attacks the brain and causes chemical and physical changes, it also affects the person’s autoregulation system. In addition, as human beings age, they lose subcutaneous fat, which is the padding under the skin of a person’s extremities, such as arms and legs. When this happens, the blood vessels are now right below the surface of their skin, and therefore more exposed to outside temperatures. Now, imagine a person living with dementia sitting in a room at maybe 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which is below the normal human body’s temperature of around 98.6 degrees. With the person’s autoregulation system having been damaged by dementia, the brain now tries to protect the body’s core by constricting the blood vessels of the person’s extremities, such as their hands, feet, or up to their knees or elbows. It’s going to make those areas colder to keep This, in turn, will make their hands and feet feel cold, which makes the person feel like they need to warm up. Your person living with dementia may feel like they need another layer of clothing when, in reality, the coldness is in their extremities. So, putting on another shirt, sweater, or pair of pants will not solve the issue and can cause overheating of the core as the autoregulation system is damaged and no longer expands the blood flow out to the hands and feet. Why being notoriously cold can cause further harm Heat can be very dangerous to the elderly. It can be serious and lead to almost immediate consequences when not quickly addressed. But how about the cold? Can it lead to further damage if not properly addressed? The unfortunate answer is yes.While less risky than heat, when a person living with dementia is frequently cold, they’ll be less likely to .In addition, as human beings age, they lose subcutaneous fat, which is the padding under the skin of a person’s extremities, such as arms and legs. When this happens, the blood vessels are now right below the surface of their skin, and therefore more exposed to outside temperatures. What you can do to help When a person living with dementia feels cold even though the room is a commonly considered to be at a comfortable temperature, adding gentle warmth to their extremities can help. Something like a gently warmed rice or bean sock or offering a warm cup might help. By providing warmth to the hands and feet, the blood vessels will start to relax and the blood will start to flow more openly into those areas. As some of the blood begins to circulate back from the core into the arms and legs, it’ll help the person feel more comfortable again.Unfortunately, this warmth isn’t going to last, so you may want to consider offering things episodically that are warm, can be held, and can be manipulated. However, make sure to always follow safety precautions and follow temperature checks. Be extremely cautious about using things like a heating pad that could get too hot, as an older person’s loss of the fat layer below the skin of their extremities makes them highly vulnerable to injury. Similar to how you’d heat-check an item for an infant, consider laying the object on yourself for a while to better determine whether this item could get too hot.Consider warming a towel in the dryer and, when not too hot anymore, laying it across the person’s feet. You might be able to watch the person relax as the warmth sets in, as it is giving them that much-needed circulation.