How Senior Care Services Can Help Older Adults in McKinney Avoid Winter Dehydration

By providing in-home senior care services for your loved one in McKinney, Allen, Plano and Frisco, TX, you can help them avoid getting dehydrated during the winter

If you’re providing in-home care for your senior loved one, preventing dehydration is crucial regardless of the season, not only during the summer months. This should be especially important for older adults in McKinney, Allen, Plano and Frisco who may lack proper perspiration and a sense of thirst due to age-related issues. During the winter, the risks of dehydration are also very realistic but with less visible warning signs. That’s why it’s important for family caregivers to provide proactive senior care services that can help their loved ones prevent dehydration during the cold season.

Some of the reasons for the lack of water retention include:

• Fever, initially developed with the flu virus
• Diarrhea from a stomach virus that may or may not be accompanied by vomiting
• Increased urination usually caused by certain types of medications
• Diabetes
• Reduction in the sense of thirst caused by aging

Professionals from senior care services point out that the most common signs and symptoms of dehydration are:

• Thirst
• Decreased urine output
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry nasal passages
• Dryness of lips and mouth, eyes that cannot make tears, reduced ability to sweat, muscle cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weakness and lightheadedness
• If dehydration is untreated, coma and organ failure may occur
• Anxiety and confusion

How Senior Care Services Can Prevent Dehydration

Here are six ways to prevent dehydration as recommended by home care experts:

1. Fluid replacement therapy is one of the most common treatments for dehydration. Your loved one can replenish their fluids by consuming lots of water, juice, soups, clear broth, Popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream, milk, puddings, decaffeinated beverages, Kool-Aid and nutritional drink supplements.
2. Encourage Mom or Dad to reduce or completely eliminate their intake of dehydrating beverages such as coffee, tea and all types of sugary soft drinks. As alcoholic drinks increase the risk of dehydration too, they might want to quit drinking alcohol as well.  
3. If your loved one continues to drink unhealthy beverages from time to time, it’s not such a big deal. Just make sure they add more water to their daily intake to compensate for the dehydrating effect of sodas and soft drinks.
4. Encourage your loved one to introduce more vegetable-based dishes into their diet and eat plenty of fresh fruits. Both fruits and veggies have a high water content.
5. Make sure Mom or Dad drinks plenty of water throughout the day. However, remind them to refrain from gulping down large amounts of water at once and drink smaller quantities more frequently instead. You can fill their tumbler three times a day and have them consume that no later than 5 PM. Seniors should limit their fluid intake a couple of hours before going to bed.
6. If your loved one gets diarrhea, you can alter their diet and give them medications in order to minimize fluid loss and dehydration. In addition, home care experts suggest administering acetaminophen or ibuprofen to control fever.

Visiting Angels provides quality senior care services for older adults in McKinney, Allen, Plano and Frisco, TX. To learn more, contact our McKinney office today.