VISITING ANGELS JENKINTOWN, PA 215-938-7201
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How Home Care Services Can Help Seniors Avoid Winter Dehydration

When providing home care services for a senior loved one in Jenkintown, PA, it’s important to make sure they’re safe and healthy. This includes ensuring they are well-hydrated at all times.

Everybody knows it's important to stay hydrated during the summer, but, let's be honest, few of us give it a second thought during the winter. Unfortunately, for some seniors, dehydration can be fatal. That is why it is so important that we take into consideration your loved one's fluid intake as a family caregiver.

Common Causes and Symptoms of Winter Dehydration in Older Adults

If your loved one has not yet decided to go with professional home care services, you may be worried about whether or not they are getting enough water throughout the day. Making sure your lover one stays hydrated during the winter is incredibly important. If you are your parent's primary caregiver, take note of the following causes of dehydration: fever, flu, diarrhea from stomach viruses or medications, medication-caused urination, diabetes and lack of thirst as a symptom of old age. Think about how your loved one could be at risk. Each senior is different and what causes dehydration in some does not do so for all. The above is of course not an extensive list and your loved one's dehydration, if they are dehydrated, could be caused by something entirely different.

What are the symptoms of dehydration? The most common is of course thirst. Once an individual feels thirsty, they are already dehydrated. Your loved one may be experiencing lack of urination, fatigue, headache, dry nose, dry lips, inability to sweat, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, light headedness, general weakness, irritability and confusion, and, in the most severe of cases, an individual may go into a coma and experience organ failure.

How Home Care Services Can Encourage Proper Hydration

Helping your loved one stay hydrated, however, can be fairly straightforward.

  1. If your loved one does not like drinking water, find a fluid replacement they do enjoy like juice, soup, clear broth, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid, nutritional drink supplements, and drinks with electrolytes like Pedialyte, Gatorade, and Powerade.
  2. Come up with a plan to eliminate drinks like coffee, tea, and soft drinks all together from their diet.
  3. If they are unable to remove unhealthy drinks from their diet, make sure they are drinking more water to compensate for it.
  4. Find a way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into their diet.
  5. Come up with a routine that will allow them to consume small amounts of water throughout the day.
  6. If they are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, speak to a doctor about medications that can lower these symptoms and prevent them from becoming dehydrated.

To learn more about quality home care services for seniors in Jenkintown, Abington, Ambler, Huntingdon Valley, Lafayette Hill, Horsham, Lower Gwynedd, and throughout Eastern Montgomery County, PA, call Visiting Angels Jenkintown today at (215) 938-7201.

Serving Jenkintown, Abington, Huntingdon Valley, Glenside, Chestnut Hill, Flourtown and the Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels JENKINTOWN, PA
1250 Greenwood Ave #1A
Jenkintown, PA 19046
Phone: 215-938-7201
215-938-7202
Fax: 215-887-7204

Serving Jenkintown, Abington, Huntingdon Valley, Glenside, Chestnut Hill, Flourtown and the Surrounding Areas

Visiting Angels JENKINTOWN, PA
1250 Greenwood Ave #1A
Jenkintown, PA 19046
Phone: 215-938-7201
215-938-7202
Fax: 215-887-7204