Stop Blasting the A/C

[Yppej]

It was chilly at work yesterday. I finally put my space heater on low, and it occurred to me to combat covid we should be keeping temperatures warmer. New US hotspots are reporting most victims are age 75 or older and I wonder if a lot of them are in nursing homes where temperatures are set for the comfort of staff doing physical labor like pushing wheelchairs or changing bed linens. Just this week my state is allowing residents to go outdoors to visit with their families, which I think is a great idea. Get into the sun and heat as much as your health permits (not to the point of risking heatstroke). In the east try running dehumidifiers rather than air conditioners first.

[rosarugosa]

It's been my experience that nursing homes tend in the direction of keeping the environment very warm, since so many elders are cold-averse. I usually find it uncomfortably warm as a visitor.
When I was working, I would not wear any outfit in the summer that didn't permit my arms to be covered. They didn't cool us; they refrigerated us.

[Tybee]

My parents have been in two facilities now and both a kept stiflingly hot, as it is difficult for them to stay warm. There has never been any issue with airconditioning being set low to accommodate workers. In fact, we have had to step in and put my parents' thermostat down so that my dad can breathe-- they will wear down jackets in summer, for example. We have had to explain to him (both workers and I) that his lungs simply cannot move that heated air around.

I have also done internships in nursing homes and it is always hot, never cold.