How At Home Care Can Reduce Winter Dehydration Risks In Older Adults in Annapolis

You can help your senior loved one in Annapolis, MD stay hydrated during the winter through quality at home care

Staying well-hydrated is very important at any age for maintaining one’s overall health, as water makes up nearly 65 percent of our bodies. While most people think of dehydration as a potential health risk that is typically related to the summer and high temperatures, the reality is that it is a year-round issue.

This is especially true for seniors who don’t perspire or feel thirst as much as younger individuals. If you act as a family at home care provider looking after your parent or relative in Annapolis, Millersville, Pasadena and surrounding communities in Maryland, this article can help you reduce and prevent dehydration risks in your loved one this winter.

Some common reasons for lack of water retention include:

• Fever from the flu virus
• Diarrhea and/or vomiting from a stomach virus
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Diabetes
• Gradual reduction in sense of thirst caused by aging

Signs and symptoms of dehydration can include:

• Thirst
• Decreased urine output – urine becomes more concentrated and has a strong yellow color
• Fatigue, headache, and lightheadedness
• Dry nasal passages
• Dry, cracked lips, dry mouth, dry eyes that stop making tears, the absence of sweating, frequent cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sudden weakness that can occur as the brain and other organs receive less blood
• Coma and organ failure as a direct result of untreated dehydration
• Irritability and/or confusion

How At Home Care Can Combat Winter Dehydration

To combat winter dehydration in your loved one, use these six methods:

1. Fluid replacement treatment for dehydration, which can be achieved by systematically increasing your loved one’s daily consumption of water, juice, soups, clear broth, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid and nutritional drink supplements.
2. Consider reducing or eliminating dehydrating beverages from Mom or Dad’s diet. Drinks such as coffee, tea, sodas and even alcohol can contribute to increasing the risk of dehydration so they are best avoided.
3. Add more water to your loved one’s daily water intake if they continue consuming soft drinks. This way, they can reverse the dehydrating effect of unhealthy beverages.
4. Encourage Mom or Dad to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet.
5. Your loved one should remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if they don’t feel thirsty. Make sure they drink smaller amounts instead of just gulping down 64 ounces in one go. In addition to this, at home care experts suggest you opt for filling a 24-32 ounce tumbler three times a day – once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the afternoon. Just remind your loved one to consume that by 5 PM as older adults need to limit their fluid intake 1 to 3 hours before their bedtime.
6. Should your loved one get diarrhea, try to alter their diet and use medications to control symptoms and minimize water loss. Moreover, acetaminophen or ibuprofen are often used to control fever.

To learn more about how at home care can improve your loved one’s quality of life, contact our Millersville, MD office today. Visiting Angels is here for you!