Aging America: How dry they are —
dehydration a concern for elderly
As we welcome the new year – and plan how to get our elderly parents safely and comfortably through another Michigan winter -- let’s remember one of the easiest things we can do for them can help avoid a serious situation.
Dehydration is something we tend to think about in hot weather and rarely worry about this time of year. But my aunt’s hospitalization just before Christmas reminded me how important it is for the elderly to drink lots of water and eat right to keep electrolytes in balance.
Dehydration is easy to prevent and yet it is one of the most common causes of hospitalization among the elderly. Unfortunately, it typically takes a fall for us to realize our parents might be dehydrated in the first place.
Because the aging body naturally contains less water and the elderly tend to be less thirsty, our parents need to make a concerted effort to regularly drink water throughout the day and eat fruits and vegetables with high water content. (Coffee and tea do not count.)
In fact, many older people intentionally avoid fluids due to a fear of incontinence. Or, if they are like my mom, they refuse to drink water because they simply “don’t like the taste.” Yet they really can’t afford to be so finicky if they want to stay out of the hospital.
Severe dehydration causes dizziness, disorientation and an unsteady gait, which can lead to a fall. But that’s not the only reason remaining hydrated is so important. Many infections have been linked to dehydration.
An elderly aunt who lives alone was hospitalized after a fall just before Christmas. Doctors found she was dehydrated and undernourished. How can this be? One of her adult children visits nearly every day.
They, like all of us well-intentioned adult children, are concerned about the many aspects of our elderly parents’ well-being. We check in on them, making sure their refrigerator is properly stocked and their furnace working. We move clutter out of their way and shovel their porches and driveways. We ask them if they need anything else and, feeling semi-confident that all is well, we leave promising to visit again soon.
That’s what my sisters and I did for many years with our elderly parents who were independent and intended to stay that way.
At least one of my mom’s hospitalizations during those years was due to dehydration. Today, I put water in front of her at every meal and throughout the day. She has stopped complaining about the taste.
During a recent tour of Sunrise Senior Living in Grosse Pointe Woods, my colleague and I noticed cups with straws in front of every resident, whether they were participating in a craft, watching TV or visiting with family or each other.
When the winter gets brutal, as it inevitably will, it’s easy to focus on the big and obvious issues facing our elderly parents. But simple precautions are just as important and can avoid serious situations.
Anne Marie Gattari is owner of BrightStar of Grosse Pointe / Macomb. Contact her via email.
