December 23, 2021
Some of them are even hospitalized due to dehydration. There are elderly people who don’t believe they can become dehydrated during the winter. However, that isn’t true. As a family caregiver, it is important that you and your elderly care provider learn more about dehydration and the elderly. This way, you and your personal care at home providers can help your elderly loved one to prevent dehydration.
Two common signs of dehydration in the elderly are vomiting and diarrhea. If your elderly loved one is experiencing either of these, it would be a good idea to have them drink a lot more water. Even if they are currently drinking what they believe is enough water, you or a personal care at home provider should encourage them to drink even more. If the vomiting and diarrhea clear up after increasing water intake for a couple of days, these symptoms were likely the cause of dehydration. If they don’t clear up, you or an elderly care provider may want to take them to see their doctor to find the cause.
Did you know that many infections and illnesses can cause dehydration? For example, if your elderly loved one gets the flu, it may cause them to vomit a lot. The vomiting can lead to dehydration. In addition, there are many infections that can cause the body to use up fluids faster than usual. This can also cause your elderly loved one to become dehydrated. These are some of the reasons why doctors always recommend that people with infections or other illnesses stay hydrated. If needed, you or a personal care at home provider may even need to remind your elderly loved one to drink more water.
Were you aware that some medications can lead to dehydration? Unfortunately, there are many medications that senior citizens commonly take that can cause this to happen. One reason for this is that some medications can cause excessive sweating. This means that fluids are leaving your elderly loved one’s body more than normal. If you notice that your elderly loved one is taking medication that causes them to sweat a lot, you or an elder care provider should encourage them to drink more water than they are currently doing.
As a family caregiver, it is essential to know as much as you can about the causes of dehydration. If you can do this, it will be much easier to help prevent your elderly loved one from becoming dehydrated. If this has already happened, make sure you or your elderly care provider gets them to drink more water. If your elderly loved one can’t hold fluids, it would be a good idea to take them to see their doctor.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Bloomfield, PA, please contact the caring staff at In-Home Quality Care today. Serving the Greater Pittsburgh Area since 1990! Call412-421-5202
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2625510/
