Senior Health: Dehydration is an issue for your senior’s entire body because every system in her body needs water in order to function well.

If she’s not drinking enough water or if she’s losing more water than she’s taking in, that causes problems all throughout her body. That can leave her with bigger problems with her senior health that can be difficult to correct if she’s making a habit of getting too little water.

Existing Health Issues

So many health issues have an impact on your senior’s ability to have the fluids she needs when she needs them. High blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease are just a few examples of health issues that can affect your senior’s ability to remain properly hydrated. Make sure to talk to your senior’s doctor about what she needs to be aware of in terms of proper hydration.

Medication Side Effects

It isn’t just health issues that affect hydration levels, though. The medications that your senior takes to help her with those health issues can also have an effect. People with high blood pressure may take diuretics, for instance, which can require that your senior drink a little more water to avoid becoming dehydrated. It’s a good idea to ask your senior’s doctor about how her medication can impact her ability to stay hydrated.

Cognitive Changes

Your senior’s brain changes as she ages, but there can also be illnesses that affect her brain and her ability to remember to drink enough water. Having some techniques on hand for reminding your senior to sip some water throughout the day can make hydrating more fun. Smartphone apps, bottles that keep water cold, and more are all tools you might want to consider.

Too Much Time in the Heat

If the weather is nice, your senior may want to spend more time outside enjoying the fresh air. The problem is that when temperatures keep getting hotter and hotter, your senior may lose more fluids than she thinks she is. Reminding her to keep track of her fluid intake when she is outside is crucial. It’s also important that your senior doesn’t spend too much time outside in the hottest parts of the day.

Monitoring water intake and finding ways to remind your senior to hydrate are extremely important tasks as her family caregiver. Home care providers can help your elderly family member to stay on top of their senior health by avoiding dehydration as much as possible.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in San Jose, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

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andy@hcprosonline.com

CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howardis a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry.His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005.He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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