A local retirement community keeps its residents busy during extreme heat

As triple-digit temperatures take a backseat in the Treasure Valley Thursday and Friday, the brief "relief" isn't expected to last long.

DOCTORS WANTEVERYONE TO PLAYIT SAFE... AS THEDANGEROUS HEATCONTINUES TOLINGER OVER THETREASURE VALLEYAND SURROUNDINGAREAS.DEHYDRATION ANDOTHER HEATRELATED SYMPTOMSARE A BIGCONCERN...ESPECIALLY FORCHILDREN ANDSENIORS WHO ARETHE MOSTSUSCEPTIBLE TODANGEROUS ANDSOMETIMES DEADLYILLNESSES... SUCH ASHEAT STROKE.OUR FRANKIEKATAFIAS CHECKEDOUT THETOUCHMARKRETIREMENTCOMMUNITY TO HEARHOW RESIDENTS ARESTAYING SAFE ANDCOOL."YOU'RE IN AND OUTALL THE TIME WHENTHE WEATHERSBETTER BECAUSETHERE'S SO MANYTHINGS TO DO INAND OUT."BUT AS TRIPLE DIGITHEAT DOMINATESMOST OF THEFORECAST IN THETREASUREVALLEY.RESIDENTSAT RETIREMENTCOMMUNITIES AREHAVING TO PLAY ITSAFEINDOORS.WHICHDESPITE A YEAR OFLOCKDOWN DUE TOCOVID ISN'T AS BADAS IT SOUNDS.VALERIE ANEWALTHAS LIVED ATTOUCHMARKRETIREMENTCOMMUNITY FORALMOST AYEAR.SHE SAYSTHERE IS PLENTY OFFUN TO BE HADINDOORS."NO MATTER WHATTHE SEASON NOMATTER WHAT THESITUATION THEY FINDSOMETHING FOR USTO DO AND I'M VERYVERY GRATEFUL FORTHAT."AIR CONDITIONEDFITNESS CLASSES, ARESTAURANT, ANDPOOL ROOMS AREJUST SCRATCHINGTHE SURFACE"WE ALREADY HAD AREALLY FULLCALENDAR INDOORAND SO JUST BYBEING ABLE TO BE INA SITUATION WHEREWE WERE JUSTINDOOR MORE."HYDRATIONSTATIONS ARE ALSOUP FOR RESIDENTSTO STAY HYDRATEDIN THIS EXTREMEHEAT.

AS WELL ASREGULAR CHECK INSTO ENSURE THEIRSAFETY"PART OF LIVING INTHIS COMMUNITY I'VEBEEN ABLE TO KNOWWHAT'S GOING ONAND HEALTHY ANDMINDFUL WAY."AFTER LOSING HERHUSBAND VALERIESAYS SHEUNDERSTANDS THEVALUE OF STAYINGBUSY BUT HAVINGFUN"IT WAS HARD IWASN'T DOING THETHINGS I WASSUPPOSED TO DO IWASN'T GETTINGOUT I JUST KIND OFWAS SHELTERINGMYSELF IN PLACEIT'S NOT SO GOODFOR PEOPLE IT'SNOT HEALTHY."DESPITE THE HEATTHE FORMERLIBRARIANCONTINUES TOWORK OUT 6 DAYS AWEEK.INDOORS OFCOURSE,VOLUNTEERS IN THELIBRARY AND STAYSBUSY WITH FRIENDS.REPORTING INMERIDIAN IM FRANKIEKATAFIAS FOR IDAHONEWS 6THE C-D-CRECOMMENDSADULTS 65 AND OVERSTAY IN AIR-CONDITIONEDBUILDINGS, AND IFYOUR HOME DOESNOT HAVE A-C, THEYRECOMMENDVISITING A COOLINGSHELTER.STAYING HYDRATEDIS THE MOSTIMPORTANT THING TOKEEP IN MIND... BUTIF YOU ARESWEATING, DOCTORSSUGGEST DRINKINGWATER..

AS WELL ASA SPORTS DRINKWITH ELECTROLYTESAND VITAMINS...TOINCREASE YOURBODY'S MINERALINTAKE.REMEMBER --DRINKING ALCOHOLCAN COMPLICATEHEAT RELATEDILLNESSES.