Humboldt Advocates for Victims of Abuse

    Donna M. Wirthlin, M.Ed., BSN, RN for Humboldt Advocate for Victims of Abuse (AVA)   Summer is upon us: warm (hot) weather, kids out of school, family vacations, swimming, enjoying outdoor activities, and more. While all of these are enjoyable and memorable activities, caution needs to come into play to keep our families safe. Hydration Making sure that all stay well-hydrated throughout the day is important. A lot of kids (even some adults) will balk at having to drink water but offer water, flavored water, popsicles (homemade, if possible, for control of sugar content), Jello, Gatorade or electrolyte supplements, and more to those who will be in the heat during the day. Note: caffeine can be a diuretic so drink sparingly when working out in the heat. Keep fluids on-hand and drink before feeling thirsty. Heat Safety Aside from staying hydrated, the heat can overwhelm those exposed for a length of time. Those most likely to suffer heat-related injurie...