Angels Care Home Health

To The Leader

Am I dehydrated? This is a common question we hear from many people around the community. The best defense against dehydration is prevention, but understanding the symptoms is the key factor in protecting you against dehydration. Angels Care Home Health, serving Liberty, Beaumont and the surrounding area, is committed to keeping our patients and the communities we serve healthy. Summer is here, so to help you be prepared to “Beat the Heat” and know what actions to take, Angels Care Home Health provides the following helpful information and prevention tips:

What Does Hydration Mean?

The hydration status of a person refers to their body water balance. Dehydration occurs when people don’t have enough fluid in their bodies. Many older people have problems with dehydration. Dehydration is a serious problem and can result in death if it is not taken care of, but dehydration is very easy to prevent.

Physical Changes that Affect Hydration

The ability to feel thirst lessens with age so seniors may not realize when they need to drink more. Seniors may find they have to use the bathroom more often so they are losing more fluid. In the aging process, people’s bodies start losing muscle and gaining fat. Muscle holds water but fat does not, so as a person ages their body water decreases. Medications that increase urination or help constipation can also cause dehydration.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

• Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink; by this time you are already dehydrated.
• Carry a water bottle with you and drink from it regularly.
• Drink at least eight cups of water every day.
• Keep a full water bottle in the refrigerator door and take a drink every time you open the refrigerator.
• Drink extra in extreme heat to replace the water lost from sweating.
• Start and end the day with a cup of water.
• Do not replace water with alcohol or caffeinated drinks.
• Know the symptoms of dehydration 
Symptoms of Dehydration 
First Symptoms:
• Thirst
• Dry mouth
• Dark yellow urine
• Fatigue
• Irritability 
Action: Drink water

Life Threatening Symptoms:

• Dizziness
• Feeling of blacking out when sitting up or standing
• Confusion
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• Sunken eyes
• Low blood pressure
• Increased heart rate 
Action: Go to the ER or contact your physician right away

Most seniors are unprepared for the health implications of Summer, specifically the changes that can occur from dehydration. Contact the Angels Care Home Health office in Liberty at 936-336-2224 or visit us at angelscarehealth.com and you can find out how we can help you stay healthy this Summer, or more about the benefits of home health care service. At Angels Care…We Serve Patients.