POTTSVILLE, Pa. — As temperatures continue to rise throughout Schuylkill County, so do concerns for the elderly.
Pat Kechula lives at the Mahanoy Elderly Apartments in Mahanoy City. We found her outside, waiting for her daughter to arrive with some groceries.
“They want to do it, but they can't. And then other people have to go to the store. They have aides like I do, like my daughter. They help me out because I can't go out in this heat,” said Kechula.
During this heat wave, senior centers across Schuylkill County are helping folks stay safe during the summer heat by providing extra resources.
The senior center in Pottsville is staying open longer to accommodate senior citizens who may not have air conditioning, and that's not all.
“What we're doing tomorrow with our Meals on Wheels consumers, we have just around 400 consumers that we deliver meals to, and we are providing them a hydration packet to them tomorrow,” said Susan Long, Diakon Community Services Director.
Each hydration packet includes a water bottle and information about the importance of drinking water when it's this hot.
“I mean, people do not realize how important it is, even if they don't feel thirsty, just please stay hydrated. Just drink as much water. Water is so important to drink,” said Long.
The senior centers across Schuylkill County are also hosting more indoor activities to allow seniors to socialize while staying indoors.
“I feel people don't realize how hot it is out there. People are always going out and trying to do things they normally do in the heat and just don't realize until it's too late. So I do caution everyone to limit your time outside, somewhere where it's air-conditioned, or they have a fan,” said Long.
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