What Are the Impacts of Dehydration on Your Senior?

With everything else that your senior has going on, drinking enough water might fall lower on the list than she would like. The problem is that it’s really easy for someone to become dehydrated and there are big reasons to avoid dehydration. Here’s some information that you and your senior need to know in order to help her to avoid health issues related to not hydrating enough.

Her Organs Have to Work Harder

Home Care Lexington, NC: Impacts of Dehydration

All of the organs in your senior’s body need water in order to function. Your senior’s heart, liver, kidneys, and other major organs all require water so that they can flush wastes and toxins out of the organ tissues. Your senior’s kidneys then filter those wastes out of the body entirely. Too little water means that those organs all have to keep working without what they need.

Her Brain Has to Work Harder

Another major organ, your senior’s brain, needs a lot of water to keep working properly. Without enough water, your elderly family member can become confused and disoriented. Thinking becomes difficult and even performing simple tasks becomes really complicated. Your senior may even find that she’s less coordinated when she’s dehydrated.

Her Digestive System Might Not Work Well

Your senior’s digestive system in particular is really sensitive to having too little water. The large intestine pulls water out of the rest of your senior’s body to digest food, but it can’t do that if there isn’t enough water throughout the body. Your senior may experience discomfort after eating if she’s extremely dehydrated. 

She Could Be at Greater Risk of Falling

All of the above issues lead to a greater problem, which is that your aging family member is at greater risk of falling. That’s a horrible problem for your senior and it can be avoided by finding ways for her to stay as safe in her home as possible. One way to do that is by bringing home care providers in to help with safety concerns, but another way to do that is to make sure your senior is properly hydrated.

Finding Solutions to Dehydration

Elder care providers are able to remind your senior to drink plenty of water and help her to eat foods that are high in water content. Keeping your senior properly hydrated means being proactive because waiting until she’s thirsty to encourage her to drink water means she’s already dehydrated. Home care providers can help to ensure that water is always right there next to your senior, ready for her to sip all day long. That’s going to give your elderly family member a better chance of avoiding dehydration on a consistent basis.

Prioritizing hydration is an excellent idea to preserve your senior’s physical and emotional well-being. If you’re unsure how much water your elderly family member should drink every day, make sure to bring it up with her doctor. That way you’ll have a target that you and your elderly family member can aim for as far as daily hydration.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Lexington, NC, contact the caring professionals at TenderHearted Home Care today. Call us at (704) 612-4132