What if Your Senior Hates to Drink Water?

It’s not uncommon for someone to dislike drinking plain water, but that can become a health issue for an older adult. Your senior might need to investigate some ways to get past her dislike of drinking water. Her doctor can help you to get started. 

Get Clear about How Much Water She Should Be Drinking

Elder Care Faith, NC: Seniors and Drinking Water

Those recommendations about how much water to drink are generalized. If your elderly family member doesn’t enjoy drinking water, hitting an arbitrary goal that feels like too much might just make her dig in her heels even more. Talk to your senior’s doctor about how much water your senior should ideally be drinking every day. The answer helps you to set a true goal for your senior that might be much more achievable for her. 

Plain Water Is Best, but Not the Only Choice  

Water recommendations are for water, of course, but they’re not the only choice when it comes to proper hydration. Fruits and vegetables that have a high water content “count” in terms of hydration. Things like herbal teas and broth-based soups also count in terms of hydrating. When you stop harping as much about plain water, you give your senior a chance to make a better decision. 

Switch Things Up 

Try some different flavors of herbal teas. Experiment with plain water by infusing the water with raspberries or with citrus juices. As you try different things, you’re going to land on some solutions that your elderly family member likes quite a bit. Make note of what she enjoys so you can start including that in the rotation a lot more often. 

Look for Unnecessary Ingredients 

It’s really important that as you branch out and try a variety of different ways to help your senior to get the hydration that she needs that you’re looking for unnecessary ingredients. Some of the options she might like the best could be higher in salt or sugar content than she really needs. Other unnecessary ingredients could be harmful for her, too, in large amounts.  

If your elderly family member needs to track the water that she’s drinking, it helps if there’s someone else who can keep up with that for her. Elder care providers can help your senior with other tasks, too, not just tracking her water intake. Knowing that someone is there with your senior can give your peace of mind that all is well. 

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