I think a big part of the problem also was the apparent lack of awareness of the nursing home staff of how absolutely lethal the heat in the building would be to the elderly patients.
In all of the information that was on the news for days about the dangers of the hurricane, I do not recall hearing any warnings about the dangers of excessive heat when the a/c is not working after power outages.
The very young and the very old are highly susceptible to excessive heat.
"Heat cramps
Heat cramps are the least severe of the heat-related illnesses. This heat disorder is often the first signal that the body is having difficulty with increased temperature. Individuals exposed to excessive heat should think of heat cramps as a warning sign to a potential heat-related emergency.
Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a more serious and complex condition than heat cramps. Heat exhaustion can result from prolonged exposure to hot temperatures, restricted fluid intake, or failure of temperature regulation mechanisms of the body. It often affects athletes, firefighters, construction workers, factory workers, and anyone who wears heavy clothing in hot humid weather.
Heat stroke
Heat exhaustion can develop rapidly into heat stroke. Heat stroke can be life threatening and because the percentage of victims dying from heat stroke is very high, immediate medical attention is critical when problems first begin. Heat stroke, like heat exhaustion, is also a result of prolonged exposure to hot temperatures, restricted fluid intake, or failure of temperature regulation mechanisms of the body. However, the severity of impact on the body is much greater with heat stroke."
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/heat+disorders
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