* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Welch
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Senior Health Alert - Citywide Dissemination of Information
FOR the purpose of requesting the Executive Director of the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (Care) to provide information to all pharmacies in Baltimore City on the hazards of extreme heat to the elderly, for dissemination with prescription medication.
Body
Recitals
The Centers for Disease Control reports that from 1979-2002, excessive heat exposure caused 8,966 deaths in the United States. During this period, more people died from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. Because of the very real dangers of heat-related illness and death, particularly to the elderly, on Tuesday, May 30, 2006, CARE sent the following e-mail alert to all City employees:
FYI ALERT
COMMISSION ON AGING & RETIREMENT EDUCATION (CARE) ADVISES
SENIORS TO KEEP COOL AS THE TEMPERATURE RISES
CARE Offers Seniors Tips to Avoid Heat Exhaustion
BALTIMORE, MD (May 30, 2006) -Temperatures in Baltimore are expected to hit and remain in the low 90 degree range through Monday, June 5, 2006. Accordingly, John Stewart, CARE Executive Director, is advising seniors to keep cool and safe this week and as we enter the hot and muggy months of summer. In particular, older adults are more susceptible to the harmful effects of extreme heat. To ensure the safety of Baltimores older population, CARE is encouraging seniors to take some common sense steps when the temperatures rise above 90 degrees:
• Drink plenty of water
• Reduce your activities
• Stay inside during the hottest time of day (11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.).
• Watch out for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke for example:
- change in mental status
- nausea
- light-headedness
- high body temperature with cool and clammy skin
• Seek medical help immediately if any of these symptoms occur
• Seek relief from the heat at any one of the local senior centers or one of the following cooling stations:
- 1400 Orleans Street - Eastern Community Action Center
- 5225 York Road - Northern Community Action Center
- 606 Cherry Hill Road - (inside the shopping center 2nd floor) Southern
Community Action Center
- 3314 Ayrdale Avenue - Northwest Community Action Center
- 3600 W. Franklin Street - Allendale Apartments
- 2121 Windsor Garden Lane - Bernard E. Mason
- 3101 Fallstaff Road - Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center
- 4801 Liberty Heights Avenue - Forest Park Senior Center
- 425 East Federal Street - Greenmount Senior Center
- 4920 Harford Road - Harford Senior Center
- 2825 Fait Avenue - Hatton Senior Center
- 229 1/2 South Eaton Street - John Booth Senior Center
- 5700 Park Heights Avenue - Jewish Community Center
- 1601 Baker Street - Sandtown Winchester Senior Center
- 1700 N. Gay Street - Oliver Senior Center
- 110 N. Central Avenue - Pleasant View Gardens
- 5828 York Road - Senior Network of North Baltimore
- 1000 Cathedral Street - Waxter Center
- 2000 N. Broadway, Lobby - Baltimore City Dept. of Social Services
- 1133 Pennsylvania Avenue - Western Community Action Center
- 3939 Reisterstown Road - Northwest Community Action Center
- 3411 Bank Street - Southeastern Community Action Center
- 3601 O'Donnell Street - Elder Health, Inc.
CARE is distributing water and information on keeping cool in the heat at all the neighborhood senior centers. Fans will be distributed to income eligible persons on an as needed basis. Persons receiving fans will sign a Notice of Return, which will allow the Office of Home Energy Programs to reclaim the fans when the heat spell ends. Seniors will receive an air conditioner, upon demonstrating they have the capacity to install the air conditioner.
If this very important alert is distributed with all prescription filled by pharmacies in the Baltimore City area, it will assist in informing our elderly, their families, and their care-givers of the dangers of extreme heat to the vulnerable elderly population.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Executive Director of the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (Care) is requested to provide information to all pharmacies in Baltimore City on the hazards of extreme heat to the elderly, for dissemination with prescription medication.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Executive Director of CARE, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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