Is Your Home Ready for a Heat Wave?

A Simple Heat Plan for the Hottest Days Ahead

Bob Wiltse, REALTOR® SRES®

June 22, 2026

By late afternoon, the house has soaked up the whole day. The air feels thick. You move slower, drink less, and tell yourself you will be fine once the sun goes down. But on the hottest days, staying cool is not about comfort. It is about safety. For older adults, a cool home can be the difference between an ordinary day and a 911 call. The reassuring part is that you have more control over this than you might think.

You do not have to cool the whole house. You need one room you can count on, day and night. On a dangerous day, that room is not a comfort. It is safety.

Heat is most dangerous indoors

Here is what surprises people. When heat turns deadly, it usually does not happen outside. It happens indoors, at home. New York City Health found the most common place of heat death is an un-air-conditioned home and that lack of home air conditioning is the biggest risk factor. A research review from the National Institutes of Health found the same pattern. Most heat-related deaths among older adults occur indoors.

Why older adults feel it more

Why are older adults more at risk? As we age, the body cools itself less effectively. We sweat less and feel thirst later. Many live with heart, lung, or kidney conditions or take medicines that make heat harder to handle. The CDC explains this plainly.

Your home can make it worse in subtle ways. A house without air conditioning can get hotter than the outside air. And it stays hot. The heat can linger for days, even at night, so the body never gets a break. That is the National Institutes of Health review again.

The danger is closer to home than most people expect. During the 2021 heat wave in British Columbia, 90% of the people who died were over 60. Almost all of them, 98%, died indoors.

Air conditioning is what keeps you safe

So what protects you most? Air conditioning. Not a fan or an open window. A working air conditioner that you actually run. This is the heart of it. In Maricopa County, Arizona, a 2019 review of indoor heat deaths found something heartbreaking. Of the people who died inside, 91% had an air conditioner. It was turned off, set too low, or broken. They had the tool but it was not doing its job. Harvard Medicine Magazine reported this.

Help with the cost of staying cool

Sometimes the unit is off to save money. That is a common trap. The good news is help exists. The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps lower-income households pay cooling bills, and many states prioritize people 60 and older. You can learn more from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some states and towns also give away free fans and cooling units. The National Council on Aging suggests dialing 2-1-1 or calling your local senior center to ask what is available near you.

A quick word on coverage. Original Medicare does not pay for an air conditioner. It is treated as a comfort item, not medical equipment (Medicare Interactive). Some Medicare Advantage plans may offer cooling help as an extra benefit (Understood Care), and some Medicaid waivers may cover a unit with a doctor’s letter (Commonwealth Care Alliance). The rules vary by plan and by state, so it is worth asking.

Where and how you live changes the plan

Heat is a housing question, and your own situation shapes how you respond.

If you are aging in place in a home you have owned for years, look closely at the cooling. Older homes often have older systems or none at all. A house without air conditioning can get hotter than the outdoor air and hold that heat for days (National Institutes of Health). You do not have to cool every room. You need one room you can count on, day and night.

If you rent, the rules may not be on your side. In many places, landlords are not required to provide cooling, and some can prevent tenants from installing a window unit (Center for American Progress). Read your lease and talk with your landlord before the heat arrives, not during a heat wave.

If you live in a manufactured or mobile home, take extra care. Older adults make up nearly 1 in 3 people in manufactured housing, and 1 in 5 of those homes were built before 1980 (Center for American Progress). Depending on how it is built, the home can heat up fast. Reliable cooling here is not a comfort. It is the plan.

If you or a parent is weighing a move to assisted living or a nursing home, put cooling on your list of questions. A study in JAMA found that during extreme heat, the risk of death rose in nursing homes without air conditioning, but not in those that had it. Ask how the building stays cool, what happens during a power outage, and whether every resident room is air-conditioned.

If you live alone, the risk is higher. In that same British Columbia heat wave, more than half of the people who died lived by themselves. A quick daily check from a neighbor, friend, or family member during hot spells can make all the difference.

Know the warning signs

Heat exhaustion looks like heavy sweating, cool and clammy skin, dizziness, weakness, or feeling sick to your stomach. The person still thinks clearly. Move them to a cool spot, give water, and let them rest. Heat stroke is different, and far more dangerous. The body can no longer cool itself. Watch for confusion, slurred speech, or fainting. The CDC notes that body temperature can reach 106 degrees in just 10 to 15 minutes. This is an emergency. Call 911.

A fan is not always the answer

One myth is worth clearing up. A fan is not always safe. When the heat index climbs into the high 90s, a fan can make you hotter, the National Weather Service warns. Cool air, not moving hot air, is what helps. Ask your doctor about your medicines. Cleveland Clinic notes that water pills, some blood pressure drugs, and certain antidepressants can make it harder for the body to stay cool.

How dangerous is heat, really?

The official count says more than 700 Americans die from it each year (NOAA). Federal records tied heat to at least 2,300 deaths in 2023 (Scientific American). Many researchers believe the real number is much higher, perhaps 10,000 to 12,000, because heat often appears on paper as a heart or kidney death (Yale e360). The exact figure is debated. The pattern is not. Older adults at home without working cooling face the greatest risk.

Your home does not have to be the danger. A cool room you can count on changes everything. Here is where to start.

Next Steps

1. Test your cooling today. Turn on the air conditioner and make sure it blows cold. If it is weak, old, or broken, service or replace it before the next hot stretch, not during one.

2. If the bill is a worry, ask for help. Dial 2-1-1, or call your senior center or Council on Aging, to ask about LIHEAP and local fan or cooling programs.

3. Make a hot-day plan. Pick a cool place to go if your home gets too hot. If you live alone, ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to check on you during a heat wave.

4. Talk to your doctor about your medicines. Ask if any raise your heat risk. Learn the signs of heat stroke (confusion, slurred speech, fainting). If you see them, call 911.

This article is for general information. It is not medical, financial, or legal advice. Program rules and coverage vary by state and plan, so check with the program or a professional about your situation.