Caregiving and Water

What is the big deal with water? Everywhere you look, people are chugging out of water bottles -- well, everbody but the elderly. The elderly are trying to make fewer trips to the bathroom, so avoiding water. But, alas, water is important. Whenever an elder falls down in their home and makes a trip to the ER, they always check electrolytes, to see if they were dehydrated.

Dehydration causes electrolyte imbalance, and one of the symptoms of that can be light headedness and fainting, so it can be dangerous, leading to broken bones, head injuries, and such -- including hip fractures.

But there are other things good old water helps with. Water helps prevent infection by keeping the lungs moist and able to clean themselves out, preventing pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. Water also helps keep skin more moist and resistant to cracking and skin tears, which make openings in the skin that can get infected.

Water also keeps urine more dilute and flowing, thus preventing bladder infections.

So, how can you get your elderly loved one to drink more water without making it an ongoing battle? One approach is to fill up a quart jar or pitcher and pour water from it into a very small glass. Then offer that small amount of water frequently. Even if someone does not feel thirsty, he can drink a small amount of water almost absentmindedly. When the pitcher is empty, you know he has drunk a quart of water.

Other ways to get the fluids in are to serve watery soups often (even daily), and serve things that are fluid at body temperature, like jello and popsicles.

And, while you are at it, don't forget that YOU need fluids too -- and coffee and colas don't count, because they have caffiene which takes fluid out of the system.

Drink up!

I am here.
Sue Ellen