Dehydration can be a very serious challenge to your parent’s health and well-being, but experts estimate that around 75 percent of people throughout the United States are actually living with chronic dehydration. This is a startling statistic that illuminates the need for you to help your senior recognize the importance of getting proper hydration every day. Understanding what might be causing your parent to become dehydrated can be a valuable first step in protecting your senior from facing the potentially devastating consequences of this condition.
Some of the reasons that your senior might be dealing with dehydration include:
- Diminished thirst. Though feeling thirst is actually a symptom of dehydration itself, many people rely on these signals to remind them of when they should be drinking. For elderly adults, however, this might not be that simple. Older people tend to feel fewer thirst signals or may not know how to interpret or address those symptoms when they do experience them, leading them to drink far less than they should.
- Medications. Certain medications can lead to your parent sweating more, losing more water, or not feeling thirst signals as effectively. If you feel that your parent is not drinking enough or is showing symptoms of dehydration, talk to their doctor about their medications and find out if this might be an issue for them.
- Illness. If your parent has been struggling with diarrhea or vomiting, they are losing more fluids. Being ill can also make it so that your parent does not want to drink.
- Loss of mobility. If your elderly loved one is not able to move around as effectively as they once did, they might not be able to get to the fluids that they need.
If you have found that your aging loved one’s challenges and limitations are more than you feel that you can handle effectively, your abilities or availability has changed, or you simply feel that your loved one would benefit from more diversification of support and assistance, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting senior care for them. A senior health care services provider can step in to fill any care gaps that might exist and ensure that your loved one is getting everything that they need on a schedule that is customized not just to their needs, but also to your needs as their family caregiver. This can help your elderly parent pursue the active, engaged, safe, healthy, and fulfilling quality of life that they desire and deserve, while also easing your caregiver stress and promoting more independence as your senior ages in place. When it comes to helping your senior to maintain better health with ongoing hydration, this senior care provider can be extremely supportive. This provider can help your parent understand their need for hydration, monitor your parent for symptoms of dehydration, and help them to make good choices that will remind them to get the hydration they need regularly, such as encouraging them to sip water throughout the day.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Hillsborough, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care. Call today: (415) 795-2203
Sources:
https://dripdrop.com/blogs/news/6-dehydration-facts-may-surprise
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4509783
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
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