Four Ways to Keep Your Senior Better Hydrated

If your senior isn’t drinking enough fluids, she’s at a much greater risk of dehydration. It’s not always easy to convince someone to drink more fluids, but you might be closer to success than you thought you were at first. You need to first get an idea how much she really is drinking and how close to dehydrated she is. 

Get an Accurate Count of How Much Fluid Is Enough 

There’s a prevailing belief that everyone needs a specific amount of water per day. While that can be a good benchmark, it’s not necessarily accurate. Differing weights, health conditions, and other factors can dictate how much water your senior really needs in order to be properly hydrated. Talk with her doctor to get a more accurate idea how much water she really needs. You can also find out if she’s actually dehydrated now. 

Encourage Her to Sip All Day 

One of the easiest solutions is to encourage your senior to sip fluids all day long. If she’s okay with drinking plenty of water, you might consider labeling water bottles or make a fun game out of the act of drinking water all day. You might make it a competition between you, for instance, as a way of encouraging her to keep sipping. 

Focus on Food, Too 

You might be surprised how much hydration your senior can get from her food, too. If she’s not interested in drinking water, hydrating foods can be the next best option. Fruits, especially melons, can be an excellent choice for this. During cooler weather, soups are soothing and hydrating, especially if they’re broth-based. 

If Your Senior Will Only Drink Certain Things, it’s Probably Okay 

Lots of people worry about certain beverages, especially sodas and coffee. Both can be choices that aren’t so great for your senior, but if those are all she will drink, they may be better than nothing. Talk to your senior’s doctor about what you can do to help her to cut back a little bit on the undesirable beverages and drink a bit more of the other ones, like plain water. 

One solution you might not have considered could be to hire senior home care providers. This is especially helpful if you can’t be there with your elderly family member for big stretches of time. They can help to make sure that your senior is eating and drinking enough throughout the day as well as helping with other needs. 

If you or a loved-one are considering in-home senior care in Findlay, Ohio, please contact the caring staff at Med1Care.  Located in Toledo and Findlay. Serving clients in all of northern Ohio including Bowling Green, Bryan, Bucyrus, Celina, Defiance, Findlay, Fremont, Kenton, Lima, Lorain, Mansfield, Marion, Mount Gilead, Napoleon, Norwalk, Ottawa, Paulding, Port Clinton, Sandusky, Tiffin, Toledo, Upper Sandusky, Van Wert, Wapakoneta, Wauseon and all nearby areas. Toledo 419.866.0555 | Findlay 419.422.0305