June 23 is National Hydration Day. This day of observance takes place each summer to remind everyone how important good hydration is to a person’s health and how dangerous it can be to become dehydrated. While this day of observance takes place in the summer when many people become dehydrated due to working or being active outside in higher temperatures, for many elderly seniors, proper hydration can become difficult all year round, and staying on top of being hydrated needs to be addressed every day, no matter the temperature. Their in-home care provider can participate in this effort to stay hydrated.

Risk Factors That Can Make Your Senior Dehydrated

In-Home Care Visalia, CA – Preventing Dehydration in Your Senior

One of the key reasons senior citizens are more likely to become dehydrated is that their water reserves decrease as they age. The amount of water a person’s body naturally holds onto gets a little less each year, making it easier for an older person to become dehydrated more quickly.

Another reason why dehydration is more common is that the tell-tale sign that you need something to drink – feeling thirsty – lessens as a person ages, making it easy to forget to drink enough each day to stay hydrated.

Finally, many seniors may take medications or have health conditions that affect how well the body processes water, possibly creating a constant state of dehydration.

Symptoms of Dehydration in Seniors

Since asking your senior if she’s thirsty may not be a good indicator of whether or not your loved one needs more water, you might need to rely on other key indicators that she has not gotten enough fluids in her body today.

Those symptoms include:

• Sunken Eyes
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Not urinating and/or urine being a dark yellow
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

Four Easy Ways to Promote Better Hydration

You might need to encourage your loved one daily to get enough water and fluids if she isn’t able to manage it on her own. Having a provider who offers in-home care might be a good way to help your loved one when you’re not there. An in-home care provider can assist your loved one with meals that are packed with plenty of hydrating ingredients, as well as offer reminders to keep drinking.

Here are four ways you and your loved one’s in-home care provider can help her keep her hydration levels up.

Encourage Plenty of Water Consumption. This is probably the easiest and most obvious step to take toward better hydration. For some individuals, it helps to start with a large container that shows how much water they need to drink each day. For others, they just need reminders throughout the day to take a big drink of water or always have at least one finished glass of water at each meal.

Offer water “substitutes.” If your loved one doesn’t like plain water, any non-caffeinated drink will help – from milk to caffeine-free tea.

Prepare water-rich foods. A clear soup, especially one with lots of vegetables, is great for hydration. A bowl of cereal with plenty of milk can also provide hydration. Fresh vegetables like celery and cucumber, as well as fresh fruit like watermelon, are also great water sources.

Don’t forget to increase hydration in hot weather or while exercising. If your loved one is sweating, she needs more water to replace the water she’s losing.

Keep your loved one feeling better year-round with better hydration.

If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care Services in Visalia, CA, please get in touch with the caring staff at Everlight Home Care today. Call us at 559-353-2847.

Private Duty Home Care in Fresno, Madera, Kern Counties, and surrounding communities. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Gina Kendall

Gina Kendall has over 25 years of work experience serving the aging and the disabled. Her extensive experience in care and management began as a Social Services Coordinator in skilled nursing facilities. While working in this capacity, she became aware of the need for, and the importance of, good, quality, home care. Gina worked with families to keep their loved ones home and avoid a return visit to the hospital. As she continued her career of service, she began working with the disabled population helping to expand and improve their independence throughout all aspects of life.

This combination of experiences has afforded Gina a unique view of the needs of the aging and the disabled and how to best serve those needs in a home setting.

Gina’s Central Valley roots run deep. She earned her BA degree from Fresno State in 1993 and has lived and worked in Fresno for the past 20 years. In addition to raising her family in Fresno, she is actively involved in her local church and is a volunteer for various local community organizations.

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