Many seniors have this drinking problem, but it’s not alcohol
“At the retirement community where Helen Rollins lives, 10 residents were hospitalized last year for a problem that seems easily prevented.
The seniors, all independent-living residents of a retirement community in Salt Lake City, were dehydrated and exhibited symptoms of urinary tract infections, one of the leading causes of emergency-room visits by older adults, she said.
The solution, however, is not as simple as it seems. In America, chronic dehydration is not usually caused by the unavailability of water, but by a confluence of factors that include diuretic medicines, decreased thirst perception and other changes in the aging body.
There’s also another, more heartrending reason: Many seniors don’t drink enough because they fear the difficulty of getting to the bathroom and the risk of falling, especially during the night.
That creates a loop of health risks, however, since dehydration can make seniors more likely to fall, and falls are the leading cause of injuries among American seniors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Develop a water schedule similar to a schedule for taking medicine.
Read more about the dangers of dehydration and get great tips
