In 2003, the European heatwave caused around 1,000 premature deaths in Switzerland. In 2022 and 2023, the FOPH again documented several hundred heat-related deaths, mainly among people over 75. Heat makes no noise, but it kills more than road accidents.
Why seniors are more vulnerable
With age, the sensation of thirst decreases, sweating becomes less efficient, and many medications (diuretics, antihypertensives, anticholinergics) disrupt thermal regulation. A bedroom at 28°C for several nights can be enough to trigger severe dehydration.
What really helps
- · Create a cool room below 26°C, at least for sleeping.
- · Close shutters and windows during the day, air out at night when the temperature drops.
- · Encourage small, regular sips of water, even without feeling thirsty.
- · Call or visit an elderly relative every day during a heat spike.
When a portable air conditioner makes the difference
Many Swiss homes aren't air conditioned. Renting a portable unit for the duration of a heatwave (3 to 10 days) often costs less than CHF 200.–, and guarantees a cool room for the at-risk person, with no renovation, no commitment.
This isn't a luxury: it's a public health measure at the scale of a single flat.
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