At Zagreb's Trnje Home for the Elderly, a special regime is in place: outings only during cooler parts of the day, air-conditioned rooms, and strict health monitoring protect the most vulnerable from the heatwave.
As temperatures break records, the elderly are hit hardest. At Zagreb's Trnje Home for the Elderly, life these days follows a carefully planned schedule, with one simple rule: no going outside between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. During those hottest hours, residents stay in air-conditioned rooms, while staff closely monitor their health.
At 93, Mrs. Katica Lončarić doesn't remember summers like this. "I don't recall such heat; there were hot spells, but we also worked in the fields. I remember working in the fields-when we picked beans, hilled corn or potatoes-we'd work, take an hour's break, and continue in the afternoon. But this heat is different," she recalled for HRT Magazine.
She also offered her own explanation for why it's so unbearable today: "We've managed to destroy nature on this Earth, and now it's paying us back." Despite her age, Katica has a clear recipe for surviving the heat. "When I need to go out, I go while it's shady, early in the morning. In my bag, I have my fan, always water, and of course, wet wipes," she revealed her little secrets.
Her neighbor at the home, 84-year-old Josip Slunjski, is especially careful due to high blood pressure. His day is meticulously planned to avoid the worst of the heat. "I have high blood pressure, so I have to take care. In the morning, right after breakfast, we go outside for half an hour, at most two, in our park, and then we come in, turn on the AC and fan, and stay until lunch," Josip explained.
Afternoon hours are reserved for rest in an air-conditioned room. "In the afternoon, we stay in our room until early evening; if the weather is good, we go out, if it's muggy, we don't. So we're being quite careful," he added, confirming that the home takes heatwave warnings seriously.
Mirna Perić, head of the Department of Health Care II, emphasized that the elderly are among the most vulnerable during extreme heat and that their health is an absolute priority. "We regularly encourage fluid intake, monitor health status, blood pressure, and signs of possible dehydration. We allow residents to stay in cooler rooms and advise them not to go out between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.," Perić stated for HRT Magazine.
Until temperatures drop, the simple rules for all residents are to avoid direct sun exposure, seek shade, and, most importantly, heed the advice of medical staff.
