Share
[easy-total-shares url="https://www.agespace.org/health/keeping-healthy-in-old-age/dehydration" fullnumber="yes" align="left" networks="facebook,twitter"]
Home Elderly Health & Wellbeing Keeping healthy in old age Dehydration among the elderly: symptoms, prevention and treatments

Dehydration among the elderly: symptoms, prevention and treatments

Dehydration in the elderly can have serious consequences, including falls, Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and Delirium, all of which can lead to hospital admission.ย ย 

Dehydration is a concern for those who are not very mobile, who live alone or who need care such as when they are admitted to hospital.

This guide explains the symptoms of dehydration, treatments and ways to prevent or reduce the likelihood of becoming dehydrated.ย ย 

What are the symptoms of dehydration in the elderly?

Older people can be particularly susceptible to dehydration for various reasons. As we age bladder and kidney function deteriorate, and we usually need to go to the loo more often. Many medicines have a dehydrating effect and need more fluid intake than normal, which is often forgotten. Many elderly people simply do not feel as thirsty as they used to, and believe that they donโ€™t need a drink.ย ย 

Symptoms of dehydration to look out for include:ย 

  • Confusion โ€“ ifย  this seems worse than normal, it could be related to lack of liquids
  • Dizziness and headaches
  • Dry mouth, dry eyes and inability to sweat
  • Low blood pressure
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Dark or smelly urine
  • Sunken eyes

One way to determine if someone is dehydrated is “the pinch fold test” – pinch a fold of skin together and if it sticks rather than returns to normal when you unpinch it, then this could be a sign of dehydration.ย 

Causes of dehydration

Understanding why someone becomes dehydrated can help to identify practical solutions to help reduce its likelihood in the future.ย 

The main causes of dehydration among the elderly are:ย 

Dehydration among the elderly
  • Heat exposureย  Spending time in hot or humid conditions can lead to increased fluid loss through sweating.
  • Illness – ย Being sick with symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhea can cause dehydration.
  • Mobility problems –ย It may be more difficult for older adults with mobility issues to be able to make their own drinks.
  • Fear of fallsWorries about getting to the kitchen to make a drink, or going to the loo and particularly the fear of falling in the night on the way to the loo;ย 
  • Underlying health conditions –ย Some underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease can cause you to lose more fluid than normal.
  • Medications – A side effect of some medications may be increased urination, which can cause additional fluid loss. Some examples of medication that can cause increased urination include diuretics and certain blood pressure medicationsย 
  • Bedbound: whether at home or in hospital if an elderly person is bedbound it is critical to keep a check on their hydration;ย 

How to treat dehydration?

Treatment for dehydration is about replacing the fluids that have been lost.ย  Drinking water or other fluids such as fruit juice, or soup, should help those with mild or moderate dehydration.

If your parent or relative has been vomiting or experienced diarrhoea, they may well have lost important electrolytes – minerals and salts such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonates.ย  These need to be replaced otherwise regular body functions such as blood clotting and fluid regulation can be affected.ย ย 

ย In these situations, drinking beverages such as some sports drinks that contain electrolytes may be helpful.ย  A healthy diet is also important to restore the body.ย 

If dehydration is more severe, hospitalization may be needed. In this situation, fluids and electrolytes will be given intravenously.ย ย 

Tips to staying hydrated

Tepid tap water is not always the most appealing option to stay hydrated. Some tips to make drinking enough less of a chore and more of a healthy choice include:ย 

Preventing dehydration among the elderly
  • Have regular drinks โ€“ water, coffee, tea and herbal teas
  • Take a glass of water to bed
  • Eat plenty of fruits, soups, and vegetables which are all water based
  • Drink more if ill, after vomiting or diarrhoea, or if sweating a lot.

Caffeine or not?

We are a nation of tea andย  coffee drinkers. Neither are great to drink in the evening because of the caffeine. In addition to interfering with sleep, too much caffeine can cause palpitations and is not advisable for certain health conditions.ย ย 

Herbal teas and infusions are now mainstream in every supermarket. They do not contain caffeine and can be very soothing to the stomach or even improve sleep quality.

  • Chamomile tea can soothe a bad stomach, and it encourages sleep
  • Peppermint tea is a great digestif and is excellent to drink after a meal
  • Lemon and ginger tea is particularly good if you have a cold
  • Green tea has many health benefits, is not acidic, and is believed to keep illness at bay However, it does have caffeine in it, so it is not a good substitute in the evening

Fruit juices and smoothies

These are even better if they are home made โ€“ andย  blenders and juicers are readily availabe to buy.ย  They’re a great way of using fruit and veg from the garden, or from the back of the fridge…

For those with arthritis or digestive problems bottled or packet fruit juices might be too strong โ€“ orange, grapefruit and tomato juice are not advisable, but apple juice (and pineapple juice) is less acidic. You can Read our blog on different drinks here:ย 

Less of the fizzy

Fizzy drinks have an abundance of phosphorus which strips calcium from the body. They are also high in caffeine, and sugar which can cause too much production of glucose and lead to diabetes.ย  Alternatively, they may contain artificial sweeteners which have a number of side-effects.

Cordials and squashes

For those who donโ€™t like drinking tap water then there are all sorts of bottled still or sparking and flavoured waters. Squashes and cordials also relieve the tedium of tap but itโ€™s always worth checking ingredients for high levels of sugar or artificial sweeteners.ย 

Alcoholย 

The body is less able to deal with the effects of alcohol as we age and it is dehydrating, but some people have their favourite tipples which they want to carry on drinking.

The governmentโ€™s recommendations are reduced for the elderly to 11 units a weeks or 1ยฝ units a day.ย  A unit is equivalent to a glass of wine or half a pint of lager. We frequently hear that a glass of wine can be good for you and, lets face it, a little of what you fancy does you good.ย ย 

The consequences of dehydration

At best feeling dehydrated is uncomfortable, at worst it could mean a stay in hospital.ย ย 

Dehydration in the elderly

A fall because of a dizzy spell,ย  a urinary tract infection, or worse a bout of delirium, can all lead to being hospitalised, maybe with longterm consequences.ย  Avoidable and treatable, so really worth keeping a close eye on elderly loved ones who may be susceptible to dehydration.ย 

A sad and sorry tale about one woman’s fear of drinking enough is a reminder about the reality many older people face.ย