The National Union of Nursing Professionals is calling for the creation of a national system to better protect vulnerable people during heat waves. This proposal comes as 1,243 excess deaths were recorded between July 3 and 22. The provisional death toll from the various heat waves this summer has reached approximately 7,300 additional deaths.
The union believes that information campaigns are no longer sufficient in the face of increasingly frequent heatwaves. Its plan aims to identify at-risk individuals by taking into account several combined factors, such as age, chronic illnesses, social isolation, and the exposure of their homes to heat. Municipalities would be tasked with improving their records so as not to rely solely on age as a criterion.
Home visits in case of danger
The system would rely in particular on the 140,000 self-employed nurses working across the country. When a vulnerable person stops answering the phone or shows worrying signs, a home visit could be quickly arranged. A preventative consultation focused on the heat would also allow for an assessment of their clinical condition and coordination of monitoring with the doctor and social services.
Health professionals could also identify homes that have become unsafe during heat waves, particularly attic apartments and poorly insulated dwellings. The plan includes the possibility of temporarily sheltering residents when indoor temperatures become excessive. The goal is to shift from a policy based on general alerts to proactive intervention with those most at risk.
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