Benefits of Keeping Your Senior Hydrated
Did you know that dehydration is a common cause of hospitalization among elderly people? As seniors age, the sense of being thirsty starts to diminish so that when their bodies begin to require fluids that they need, they may not even realize it. This can cause them to not drink enough fluids and then sometimes, by the time that seniors are feeling thirsty, they are already dehydrated, as the feeling of thirst can actually be an early indicator.
Home Care McLean VA – Benefits of Keeping Your Senior HydratedKidney Health
Making sure that your senior consumes sufficient amounts of fluids every day is important for good kidney health and maintenance. Chronic dehydration results in urine with a higher concentration of mineral and waste product which can lead to a formation of crystals which affect kidney function and can even be a cause of some painful kidney diseases like kidney stones.
Urinary System Health
If a senior with severe dehydration is not treated immediately, it can lead to complications with their urinary health such as secondary UTI’s, or urinary tract infections, which can be life threatening for elderly people.
Brain Function
The human brain depends on proper hydration to keep us functioning properly. Water is something that brain cells require, and when the body loses too much water, it offsets the delicate balance that brain cells depend on to operate, affecting performance and efficiency. Research has shown that when we are thirsty, we have more difficulty maintaining focus, and even short and long-term memory can be impacted by a deficiency in the proper amount of fluids.
Avoid Hospitalization
Every year, approximately a half million people in the United States alone are admitted to the hospital primarily due to dehydration, with nearly 2 percent of them dying there. Dehydration can also lead to other serious and sometimes life-threatening complications that may require hospitalization, such as seizures and low blood volume shock.
Help with Constipation
One of the most common causes of chronic constipation is dehydration. If your senior is receiving home care and does not have enough water in their body, the large intestine starts to soak up water from the food that they consume, creating hardened stools that can be difficult to pass.
Helpful tip: If you utilize a home care provider to help with the daily responsibilities of your senior, have them encourage your senior to drink fluids through the day, and mix it up by offering things such as both hot and cold beverages, smoothies, shakes, or enriched drinks that will help with electrolyte balance. Being proactive about hydration can help keep your senior feeling their best!
Sources: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/drink-up-dehydration-is-an-often-overlooked-health-risk-for-seniors/
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/water-a-fluid-way-to-manage-constipation
https://www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NHC_hydration_and_kidney_health_FINAL.pdf
https://www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/hydration
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/you-illuminated/201010/why-your-brain-needs-water
https://www.everydayhealth.com/dehydration/severe-dehydration-treatment-options/