Are you worried that your elderly loved one will become dehydrated? Maybe they aren’t drinking enough water. They might not be eating enough vegetables. There are many things that your elderly loved one may or may not be doing that can cause dehydration. The good news is there are some ways that you and personal care at home providers can help to prevent dehydration in your elderly loved one.

Have Fluids Ready

One of the best ways to encourage your elderly loved one to drink more water is to have fluids ready. There are numerous ways this can be done including:

• Putting bottles of water in different areas of the home (kitchen counter, nightstand, coffee table, etc.)
• Giving them a drink of water when they wake up
• Offering them water when you come to visit
• Suggesting the waiter bring water to the table when out to eat

If you and home care providers can keep fluids readily available for your elderly loved one, they may be more likely to stay hydrated.

Urine Color

Did you know that a person’s urine color can tell whether they are dehydrated? It may seem odd at the time, but it is also helpful to check the color of your elderly loved one’s urine from time to time. If the urine is getting darker, it may mean that your elderly loved one needs to drink more water. If the urine is lighter, it means there aren’t issues with dehydration. If you and personal care at home providers have seen your elderly loved one drinking plenty of water, but their urine is still darker in color, make sure they see their doctor about this.

Reducing Caffeine Intake

Caffeine can easily dehydrate a person, especially when they aren’t drinking much water or eating enough fluid-filled foods. If your elderly loved one does drink caffeine, it would be good to encourage them to do so lightly. The less caffeine they drink, the less likely the caffeine is to cause dehydration. If your elderly loved one is bent on continuing to drink caffeine, hopefully by you and personal care at home providers recommending they drink water before and after the caffeine, will help them to stay hydrated.

Conclusion

There are many senior citizens who become dehydrated. This can lead to many other health issues. It would be best if you and the senior care providers can help your elderly loved one to prevent dehydration. The tips above can help you to do this.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Personal Care at Home in Seneca, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19214345/

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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