Battling Dehydration in Winter Months
Dehydration is a huge issue for older adults. This is even more true if your aging family member is taking medications to help manage her health issues. Lack of proper hydration can lead to urinary tract infections and even hospitalization.
Elderly Care in Middletown DE: Senior Hydration
Dehydration Is Serious All Year
Most people think about dehydration when the weather is hottest. That can be true, but dehydration is a problem all year round. Central heating, low humidity levels, and cold winds in the winter months mean that water intake is almost more important in the winter. That may not be something that your senior wants to hear, however.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Water
The good news is that there are lots of ways to get hydration levels up for your senior. Broth-based soups are very hydrating and they’re satisfying on a cold winter’s day, too. Fruits and vegetables that are high in water content can also help. Other beverages besides water, like herbal teas, can also be very hydrating.
But Water Helps
Ultimately, water is the best form of hydration, though, so as much as your elderly family member is relying on some of these other options she also needs plain water. Keeping a water bottle handy is a good idea. Experiment a bit to find out what works better for her. Some people drink more when they have a large bottle that they drink out of all day, while others drink more when they have to refill a smaller glass more often.
Try Variations
Try some other variations, too. Your senior might enjoy sucking on ice throughout the day in addition to eating foods that have higher water content. Or your elderly family member might drink a little bit of water but supplement her water intake with low-sodium bone broth. Give all of these ideas a try and find out what works best for your elderly family member.
Encourage Your Senior to Track Her Intake
Tracking her water intake can help your senior to see what she’s drinking and how often. She may feel before she starts tracking her water intake that she’s drinking a lot of water, but find out afterward that she was exaggerating that in her mind. Talk to her doctor about what the right amount of water is for her on a daily basis.
If your elderly family member is having more difficulty with meal preparation and mobility, that can also affect her ability to properly hydrate. Having home care providers there with her can help immensely.