Hydration is vital for your aging adult, no matter whether the temperatures are still pretty high or coming back down. If your elderly family member isn’t getting the water that she needs, her body won’t work as well as it could and that’s not ideal.
Offer a Range of Hydrating Beverages
Hydration is about more than just water, although water is the best choice. Other drinks like smoothies, herbal tea, milk, and juice all have hydrating effects. If you’re having a tough time getting your elderly family member to drink plain water, then you’ll definitely want to include other beverages. Keep in mind that other beverages bring with them calories and sometimes sugar, which you might want to limit some.
Make Water Easy to Get To
Water that is easy to access is water that your elderly family member is more likely to drink. If she prefers cold water, then you might want to invest in a few water bottles or glasses that help to keep drinks cool for hours at a time. Another idea is to freeze smaller bottles of water and get them out in the morning. They’ll slowly defrost, but stay cool all day.
Stock up on Foods that Have High Water Content
Your senior’s doctor has probably already recommended that she eat more fruits and vegetables. There is another benefit to following that advice, too. Fruits and veggies that have a high water content, such as melons, cucumbers, or berries, are great choices. Your elderly family member can get a little more water into her diet and up her veggie and fruit intake, too.
Add Soup to the Menu
Soups, particularly broth-based soups, are an excellent choice for hydration. Soup is also a way to help your senior to eat a few more vegetables each day. You might want to consider including soup with lunch or even right before dinner as an appetizer. Even a small cup of soup can have some big benefits.
Make Some Popsicles
Hydration doesn’t have to be boring, though. Popsicles are a fun way to get more fluid in your senior’s system without lots of pressure. Use can use fruit juices to make popsicles or you can puree whole fruits and freeze the puree. This is a great thing to do with berries or melons that are getting past their “pretty” stage.
Talk with your senior’s doctor about how much water is right for her. You might also want to consider working with senior care providers. They have experience with coaxing aging adults to drink just a little bit more water. They can help you find ways to motivate your aging family member to bump up her hydration.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Spring Branch, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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