Preventing Dehydration in the Elderly
 Many caregivers for the elderly find it difficult to get their patients to drink enough water or other fluids, thus increasing the risk for dehydration. Dehydration is the condition in which the body water output exceeds the water input.
The body needs water for various reasons including carrying nutrients to the cells of the body and maintaining the structure of molecules. Fluids are found within body cells, around body cells, and in the blood vessels. Water also acts as a lubricant and cushion around joints and inside the eyes and spinal cord.
Why is it difficult to get aging individuals to drink enough water?
- The hypothalamus center of the brain controls how a person perceives thirst. Despite real fluid needs, an elderly person may not feel the sensation of a dry mouth or the natural thirst response. When an older person does not feel thirsty, he/she may resist drinking the proper amount of water needed to prevent dehydration.
- Whether or not the elderly person feels thirsty, he or she may also feel it is too much effort to get up and get a drink of water and consequently go to the bathroom.
- The elderly person may also lack coordination and be concerned about spilling and making a mess.
- Even a minor bladder control problem can cause a person to resist drinking enough water. If this is the case, a simple incontinence pad should be worn to prevent any embarrassing accidents.
Simply put, if one does not feel thirsty or is concerned about bladder control, drinking can feel just too bothersome.
What happens when an elderly person does not drink enough fluids?
The average adult’s body weight is made up of 60% water. More water is stored in lean tissue than in fat. The proportion of water in the elderly is less because they have less lean tissue. Because of less body water, a fever or hot weather can rapidly increase dehydration in an elderly adult.
When an elderly person does not drink enough water either because of unavailability or by failing to perceive the thirst signal from the brain, symptoms of dehydration can rapidly develop. Symptoms of dehydration may include but are not limited to:
- Thirst, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite;
- Impaired physical coordination, dry mouth, reduction in urine, apathy
- Headache, difficulty in concentrating, sleepiness, irritability, increased respiratory rate;
- Dizziness, loss of balance, delirium, collapse, eventually death.
How to encourage the elderly to drink or consume enough fluids:
- Use a closed-top container with a straw
- Find a healthy drink that the elderly person actually enjoys. If it doesn’t taste good, it most likely will not be consumed. Besides water, provide fruit juices, herb teas, broth, and fat-free milk.
- Provide plenty of high water content foods such as soups, jell-o, yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, and fruits and vegetables especially oranges, apples, grapes, any type of berry, watermelon, carrots, and leafy vegetables.
Older adults who are dehydrated are especially more susceptible to urinary tract infections, pneumonia, pressure ulcers, and confusion. To prevent dehydration, it is recommended that elderly adults drink at least six glasses of water a day, which can include other high water content foods.
Authored by Marsha Muller
www.AssistingFloridaSeniors.com
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