Home Care Assistance Tips On Combating Winter Dehydration In Seniors from Visiting Angels Aspen Hill

Proactive home care assistance can help your loved one in Silver Spring, Aspen Hill and Laurel, MD avoid winter dehydration and lead a safer and healthier life

Staying hydrated throughout the year is important for people of all ages. However, older adults in Aspen Hill, Laurel and Silver Spring need to take special care to avoid dehydration, which can cause serious complications. To help your loved one combat dehydration this winter, home care assistance experts are sharing some useful tips on how to keep seniors hydrated all year round.  

The lack of water retention may be caused by one or more of the following reasons:

• Fever from the flu
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Diabetes
• Increased urination from certain types of medications
• Reduced sense of thirst caused by the natural process of aging

Home care assistance experts point out that the most common signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

• Constant thirst
• Decreased urine output – this means urine is thick, concentrated, and more yellow in color
• Headache and fatigue
• Dry nasal passages
• Dry, cracked lips, dry mouth, eyes stop making tears, the body stops producing sweat, even muscle cramps may appear
• Nausea and vomiting, lightheadedness (especially when standing up)
• Weakness can occur as the brain and other organs receive less blood
• Organ failure that can induce coma may happen when dehydration remains untreated
• Irritability and confusion

Keeping Your Loved One Hydrated with Home Care Assistance

Visiting Angels has extensive experience with providing quality senior care, so we highly recommend these six ways to prevent dehydration:

1. Fluid replacement – This is a simple treatment for dehydration that is geared toward replenishing bodily fluids. Your loved one can increase their daily intake of fluids and liquid foods and opt for anything from water, juice, soups, clear broth, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, and decaffeinated beverages to Kool-Aid and nutritional drink supplements.
2. Reducing or eliminating unhealthy, dehydrating beverages – Coffee, tea, sodas, and soft drinks containing high levels of sugar can contribute to dehydration. In addition to this, alcoholic drinks increase the risk of dehydration because our system requires additional water to process and metabolize alcohol.
3. Drink more water daily when consuming soft drinks or any type of unhealthy beverages – the dehydrating effect of those drinks can be diminished by increasing the amount of your loved one’s daily water intake.
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables – As most fresh produce has a high water content, your loved one can easily replenish fluids and restore their health this way.
5. Daily intake of water should be in smaller quantities – Suddenly gulping down 64 ounces of water is certainly not a good idea. Instead, remind your loved one to stay well-hydrated by having a 24-32 ounce tumbler of water filled three times a day. As home care assistance experts recommend that older adults limit their fluid intake 1-3 hours prior to bedtime, make sure they consume that by 5 PM.
6. Seniors with diarrhea can try altering their diet and taking medications to control their symptoms and reduce water loss. Additionally, they can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if they happen to have a fever.

Do you have a loved one in Aspen Hill, Silver Spring or Laurel who needs help with living at home? If so, Visiting Angels Aspen Hill can help. Just contact our Silver Spring, MD office today!