Appropriate use of air conditioners is often called for as a measure against heat stroke, but about 40% of the elderly in Tokyo's 23 wards who died of heat stroke last summer spend their time in rooms without air conditioners. I did.



Experts point out that it is necessary to work on supporting elderly people who do not have air conditioners from now on before summer.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Inspectorate, 200 people died of heat stroke in the 23 wards of Tokyo last summer, of which 178 were 65 years old or older, accounting for 89% of the total.



In addition, when we analyzed the data of 170 elderly people who died indoors, 67 people, 39%, did not have an air conditioner installed in the room.



Last summer was a record heat, and even in the city center, midsummer days of over 30 degrees Celsius continued every day, calling for strict caution against heat stroke.



However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, it is required to refrain from going out, and there have been a number of cases in which elderly people living in rooms without air conditioners die from heat stroke.



Mr. Masashi Yokobori, director of the Advanced Critical Care Center of Nippon Medical School Hospital, who is familiar with heat stroke, said, "In an environment without an air conditioner, the temperature inside the room rises and the risk of heat stroke increases. It is important to take measures against heat stroke, such as thinking about support, and to improve social momentum. "

Municipalities that support purchase costs

Some municipalities help pay for the purchase of air conditioners to prevent older people from suffering from heat stroke in unair-conditioned rooms.



When NHK interviewed the 23 wards of Tokyo, Minato Ward and Adachi Ward had started a subsidy project to support the purchase cost of air conditioners for the elderly.



Of these, in Minato Ward, households with only elderly people aged 65 and over living in the ward will be provided with a project to support the purchase cost of air conditioners by 65,000 yen after setting certain income restrictions such as pensions. This year I started in January.



In cooperation with the local welfare officer who is watching over the elderly, we have called on the elderly living in rooms without air conditioning to utilize the subsidy.



As a result, there were 51 applications by the 27th, of which 36 had already purchased air conditioners.

Elderly people who install air conditioners with subsidies

A 77-year-old woman who lives alone in Minato Ward noticed an air conditioner malfunction last summer, but she didn't have the money to buy a new one, and she was able to survive with a fan.



While I was worried that I might suffer from heat stroke while I was required to refrain from going out due to the influence of the new coronavirus, I learned about the subsidy project in Minato Ward.



When I applied last month, the air conditioner was installed in about two weeks, and the subsidy was immediately transferred to my account.



The woman said, "I'm grateful that I've saved a little money to bring out. I think it's going to get hot in the future, so I'd like to spend a quiet time at home using the air conditioner even during the self-restraint period."



Kojiro Kaneda, chief of the Minato Ward Elderly Support Division, who is in charge of the subsidy project, said, "While the corona is not expected to converge, we support elderly people who are prone to heat stroke and become seriously ill at home. I have decided to start a business. I would like to encourage the installation of air conditioners before it gets hot and to promote efforts so that they can be used immediately in the summer. "

Municipalities that provide services without financial assistance

Even local governments that do not support the cost of purchasing air conditioners are working on services to prevent heat stroke in the elderly.

I checked the 23 wards of Tokyo.



[Ota Ward] In


Ota Ward, we prepare and distribute 16,000 ice packs, and in hot weather, we are calling for you to wrap them in a towel and apply them to your neck and groin to cool them.



[Kita Ward] In


Kita Ward, we are telling you to prepare 9,500 "cool scarves" that feel cold when wet with water, distribute them to the elderly, and wrap them around your neck.



[Meguro Ward] In


Meguro Ward, staff members give an oral rehydration solution that can remove salt as well as water as needed to call for diligent hydration.



[Correspondence of other local governments] In


many other local governments, staff members and local welfare officers go around the housing of the elderly and hand out leaflets summarizing measures against heat stroke to explain that they should be careful from this time. is.



Mr. Masashi Yokobori, director of the Advanced Critical Care Center of Nippon Medical School Hospital, who is familiar with heat stroke, said, "Putting a cold object on your neck will cool the blood in large blood vessels, which is a very efficient cooling method. Regardless of the installation, it is necessary to create an environment that can cope with sudden changes in temperature. "

Be careful of heat stroke when the air conditioner is not operating

On the other hand, it has been confirmed that even if an air conditioner is installed in an elderly person's home, it will not operate and will die.



Yokobori, director of the critical care center, said, "In the summer, even if I tried to use the air conditioner, it didn't work and I lost my life due to heat stroke. It's easy to get sick, so it's important to check the operation of the air conditioner and get used to the heat. "