Jun
23
Written by:
AALHA
6/23/2011
By Deb McCarty, Manager of Life Sonoran Homes, Sahuarita, AZ
Dehydration is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly people. It causes the hospitalization of many of our residents, and its outcome may be fatal. Dehydration is often linked to infection, and if it is overlooked, mortality may be over 50%.
Some of the first symptoms of severe dehydration include chronic fatigue and lethargy. Dehydration can also cause confusion and weakness. More symptoms to look for include: dizziness, dry mouth, sudden problems with mobility, low blood pressure or severe change in blood pressure when standing up, rapid resting heart rate, irregularity in body temperature (too cold or feeling hot without producing sweat), inability to produce tears, or “sunken” eyes.
Second only to oxygen, water is the nutrient most needed for life. A person can live for a month without food, but most people can survive only 3 to 4 days without water. Water makes up 85% of the blood, 70% of the muscles, and about 75% of the brain.
There are many valuable articles on hydration – just Google “hydration for the elderly” for more information. It is important, however, that we encourage our residents to sip water throughout the day. Even those folks without physical disability need reminding! Remember to teach your residents and staff that decreasing fluids does NOT decrease incontinence or trips to the bathroom. Some care homes put water in a large cup with a built in straw and they let their residents sip from them all day. They are freshened throughout each shift. You may have to enhance the taste of the water by adding a little lemon juice or other flavoring. This encourages your resident to drink more.
The summers are hot in Arizona, but we need to practice this all year long no matter where we live.
Deb has been in health care for most of the last 30 years. In 1996. she and her husband moved to Green Valley from Iowa. She is an LPN, in addition to being a licensed manager. Deb has worked in centers, but prefers the love and attention we are able to give our residents in the smaller homes. She believes her love for seniors has something to do with being raised, in part, by her grandparents. Deb says, "Because I am also a nurse, I tend to think along these lines and we can never say enough about hydration for a residents." Contact Deb at dmccarty@lifesonoranhomes.com.