If your elderly family member isn’t getting the right amount of water each day, she can unexpectedly run into some health issues. Proper hydration does so much for your elderly family member’s overall health, but she needs to make sure she’s actually taking in enough water. Try some of these suggestions to get a handle on how much water is enough for your elder and why she needs to make this a focus.
Water and Movement
The body uses a lot of water and if your elderly family member is exercising regularly, her body needs a good bit of water to keep going. Talk to your senior’s doctor about how much water is right for her. Her doctor will take into account your senior’s overall health, her diet and other requirements, as well as how active she is. From there you can set up a goal that is reasonable for her.
This Isn’t a Race
So many people look at hydrating as a race of sorts. Either they try to get all their water in early in the day or they remember late in the day that they need to drink more water. Regardless, the best approach is to drink a little bit of water all through the day. There shouldn’t be any reason to make it a race to the finish.
Medications Require Plenty of Water
If your senior is taking medications, she needs to be taking them with water. Most medications list “take with water” on the label, but most people look at that as a suggestion rather than something they should do. Medications are chemicals and water helps your senior’s body to process those chemicals effectively. Also, if she has any problems swallowing her pills, a full glass of water is definitely a help.
She Can Get Water Elsewhere, Too
A common misconception is that water intake can only come from drinking water. But foods that are high in water content, like brothy soups, fruits, and vegetables, can be excellent sources of extra water. This is especially helpful if your elderly family member is not wild about the taste of water and keeping up with drinking it.
Getting the right amount of water every day is about balance for your elder family member. Do what you can to make tracking her water intake fun and easy. That way even people helping her, like elder care providers, can keep up and let you know what they’ve noticed.