Hitze: 40 Grad im Pflegeheim? Warum Hitzeschutz in der Pflege eine Seltenheit ist
Nur wenige Pflegeheime sind auf extreme Hitze vorbereitet. Die, die es sind, zahlen für die Maßnahmen vor allem selbst. Die Politik sucht noch nach konkreten Antworten.
Dinslaken, Germany - In a 28-degree Celsius sunroom, 85-year-old Heidemarie Pavsek finds comfort. It's a far cry from the intense heatwaves of June, when temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius. Aging in the Alfred-Delp-House, a Caritas-run care facility, Pavsek says she handles the heat surprisingly well. On particularly hot days, she moves to the air-conditioned communal areas. "I can still move around at least," she notes.
However, many residents struggle with the heat. Alfred-Delp-House, housing 80 individuals, is an exception in this regard. Only 14.5% of new residential buildings in social care have air conditioning, according to a Deutsche Krankenhausgesellschaft (DKG) survey, despite heat being more dangerous to older people. Specific figures for care facilities are unavailable.
In 2021, heat-related deaths in Germany reportedly reached 12,500, with roughly 2,300 in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. In June, two care homes in Dormagen and Krefeld were temporarily evacuated due to extreme temperatures.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
