Hypothermia,Use of Textile Items,and the Elderly

Abstract

Hypothermia can be a serious threat to the elderly, even in the relatively warm climates found in the southeastern part of the United States. The objectives of this paper were to report initial efforts to examine the use of clothing and bedding items by the elderly, to relate usage to selected demographic variables, and to provide a baseline for future research. Data were collected by interviewing 381 subjects, sixty-five years of age and older, who were participants in home-delivered and congregate meal site programs across north Florida. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and by chi square and cluster analyses. Respondents reported using a wide variety of textile items to keep warm inside their homes in the winter. Six variables (sex, race, education, income, age, and type of meal program) were significantly related to selected patterns of textile use; all but education were related to the perceived textile needs of the respondents. Even though few subjects understood the dangers of hypothermia, those at the lowest income and educational levels appeared to have more characteristics that might make them susceptible to hypothermia than other groups. Additional research, improved educational programs, increased clothing use, and continuation of public service programs could help prevent the occurrence of accidental hypothermia among the elderly.