Preventing dehydration is very important, especially for older patients. Water imbalance can cause serious health problems and become one of the leading causes of hospitalization in older people over 65.
If you want to keep your patient’s water balance at the proper level, we are ready to share creative tips on motivating your patient to drink more water.
Various Sources of Fluids
If dehydration is a severe problem for your patient, then you may need to make a compromise. One of the easiest ways is to allow older people to consume less healthy options like sugary drinks or diet soda.
This method works well, especially for cases where an older adult deliberately avoids drinking liquids or does not realize the fundamental importance of maintaining water balance.
Be sure to consult with the patient’s doctor not to harm the health of an older person. This way, you will know for sure that the disadvantages of drinks with sweeteners do not exceed the benefits.
Always Keep Water Nearby
Sometimes seniors do not want to use the help of others and prefer to drink water on their own. To make this easier, just place a small jug of water and a cup near the place where your patient spends most of the time.
Make sure that the pot of water is comfortable and light. In this case, you can also monitor the amount of water that an older adult consumes during the day.
Use Smart Apps
Caregivers often have to deal with too many daily tasks. Therefore, specialists can easily lose sight of minor details.
This concerns the amount of fluid that a patient consumes during the day. Do not try to memorize the number of cups or the amount of liquid that a senior drank.
Instead, you can download one of the thousands of mobile apps that track fluid intake. The app reminds you when you should ask a patient to drink some water. Don’t forget to analyze the results at the end of the day.
Experiment with Drinks of Different Temperatures
Do some experimentation and try to figure out which fluid temperature is more appropriate for your patient. Some older people prefer to drink water at room temperature. In contrast, others prefer cool drinks, especially in the summer. Try offering chilled tea or slightly warmed juice.
Make Fruit Ice Cream
Homemade popsicles are a great way to quench thirst and encourage your patient to consume more fluids.
Homemade popsicles are made from fruit juice diluted with a bit of water. Ask which fruits your patients like the most. Next, make popsicles based on their preferences.
Conclusions
Some older people do show unexplained resistance to drinking liquids. If you are faced with a similar situation, then try offering a patient such delicious variations as:
- Chilled milkshake
- Fruit smoothie
- Iced tea and so on.
If your patient likes the taste and composition of a drink, you can easily take care of the correct water balance of the senior during the day.
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