For many people, they only worry about becoming dehydrated while they are outside, exercising in warm weather. The heat and sweating can easily cause anyone to quickly become dehydrated if they are not replenishing their fluids often enough while exerting themselves. Senior home care providers can make sure meals have more hydrating fluids in them, and steer away from foods that will dehydrate like heavily salted items.
A person can become dehydrated and for seniors, getting dehydrated can occur more quickly or it can be a slow process due to an overall lack of hydration regularly. Long-term or severe dehydration can damage the kidneys, affect cognitive abilities, and create a myriad of physical side effects.
Symptoms of Dehydration
- Confusion. When dehydrated, your elderly loved one might struggle to think clearly or process information.
- Dizziness or Lightheadedness
- Extreme fatigue. Muscles may feel like they cannot move or support the body properly.
- Not urinating often and urine appears a much darker color than normal.
- An inability to shed tears
- A mouth that feels dry or sticky
- And of course, feeling extremely thirsty (by the time most people feel thirsty, they are already getting dehydrated)
Four Reasons Seniors Might Be More Likely to Become Dehydrated Even Without High Temps or Extreme Exercise
Medications. Many seniors take medications that can cause them to become dehydrated. Diuretics are one common one which can cause problems. Always find out from your loved one’s doctor if she needs to take in more fluids because of medications.
Declined kidney function. If your loved one’s kidneys are not working at full capacity, she might develop a fluid imbalance in her body, making it easier for her to become dehydrated more quickly than others.
Diminished thirst triggers. The body will usually let a person know they are getting low on hydration by making them feel thirsty, but as a person ages, those signals are not as strong or noticeable, making it easy to forget about drinking enough fluids each day.
Cognitive decline. Decreased cognitive ability can lead to the brain not understanding the signals of being thirsty, or it may miss them completely.
Five Ways to Increase Fluid Intake for Your Senior with Senior Home Care Assistance
Luckily, staying hydrated is fairly easy once your loved one realizes the importance of staying on top of her hydration needs. If your loved one has cognitive issues that make it difficult for her to manage her own hydration needs, you might consider recruiting her senior home care providers to help her stay hydrated.
Here are five ways your senior and her senior care team can help make sure she gets enough fluids each day.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that are high in water content. Good sources are citrus fruits, watermelon, cucumbers, and celery.
- Drink plenty of non-caffeinated drinks during the day. Water is always best, but lemonade, tea, and decaf coffee can also be included.
- Eat meals that include fluids. Soups are a great way to increase fluid intake.
- Pre-measure how much water should be drank each day. Start the day by filling up a pitcher or large water bottle that needs to be emptied by the end of the day.
- Set timers to remind your loved one to drink water regularly.