How Do You Ensure Elderly Care Home Residents Are Well Hydrated?

When it comes to maintaining the perfect level of, it varies from person to person.

For example, someone who is more active will naturally require more fluids to replace fluid lost during activity. Likewise, a person who is less active may require less fluids.

For older adults, there are certain things to be aware of that may impact their fluid levels:

• If they’re taking medication that is a diuretic, they will need to drink more to replace the fluids that they lose as a result of regular trips to the toilet. Alternatively, if they are taking multiple medications, this will affect their water and sodium balance, which could ultimately lead to dehydration.

• As their sensation of thirst is decreased, which is a natural part of ageing, they may be less inclined to drink as they don’t feel thirsty. This may then lead to dehydration.

• If their mobility is impacted, they may be unable to get a drink for themselves when they are thirsty. Or, if they want to reduce the need to go to the toilet due to their limited mobility, they may also reduce the amount they drink.  

• If they suffer with incontinence, they may be less inclined to drink often to avoid embarrassment.

All of these can affect how you promote good hydration in those in your care.

So, how much should your care home residents be drinking each day?

Experts recommend that older adults should consume roughly 1.7 litres of fluid every 24 hours. Whilst this may seem a lot, the key is to encourage them to drink little and often.

A combination of encouraging good hydration, looking out for signs and symptoms of dehydration and understanding the key risk factors for dehydration can help you successfully manage the condition.

For more help on recognising, monitoring and reducing dehydration in care home residents, we’ve created a helpful guide to help you out.

Simply hit the banner below to find out how our guide will give you the help you need to tackle dehydration, allowing you to safeguard those in your care and give you peace of mind…