Dehydration: One of the main causes of elderly hospital visits during the summer is dehydration.
When caring for your elderly loved ones, it is important to make sure they stay hydrated. This does not mean they have to be drinking water all throughout the day. While water is a great choice, your elderly loved one can also eat things that have high water content. This includes peppers, watermelon, and other foods. Keep reading here to find out some of the top tips to help your elderly loved one prevent dehydration this summer.
Always Have Water On-Hand
One of the ways that your elderly loved one can stay hydrated is to always have water on hand. The best way for them to do this is to have a water bottle they can fill up wherever they go. You can get them one of those water bottles that stay cold for a long time. If your elderly loved one doesn’t like their water cold, you can get them a normal water bottle. You and their senior care providers can give reminders to keep the water bottle full.
Lime or Lemon
Does your elderly loved one get tired of drinking plain water? Maybe they don’t really like drinking water in the first place. One of the things your elderly loved one can do is to add lime or lemon to their water. This can add some flavor. You could also get your elderly loved one a water bottle that has a fruit-infusion tube in it. Then, your elderly loved one can put blueberries or other fruit in the bottle. This can make their water taste even better and help to keep them from dehydration.
Hunger and Water
Does your elderly loved done eat every time they feel hungry? Did you know that sometimes, when a person feels hungry, they aren’t actually hungry? They are thirsty. If your elderly loved one is feeling hungry, but they have already eaten their previous meal, they should try drinking a bottle of water instead. This could fulfill their hunger and help them stay hydrated at the same time.
Tracking Water
Does your elderly loved one have a difficult time staying hydrated? Maybe they forget to drink water or can’t remember how much they drank. If this is the case, there are a couple of things that can be done. You can get your elderly loved one a 64-ounce water bottle that has numbers on the side. This way, they can fill it with the water they need throughout the day and drink it often. You or senior care providers can also make a note of how much water your elderly loved one is drinking. If they aren’t drinking enough, you can encourage them to drink more water to ward off dehydration.
Conclusion
These are some of the top things that can help to prevent dehydration in your elderly loved one. Hopefully, with these tips, your elderly loved one can stay hydrated and feel better this summer.
