Seniors and Dehydration: Five Lifesaving Reasons to Drink Water
Drinking the standard eight glasses of water a day is one of the easiest – and most neglected – steps to staying healthy for people of all ages. We often forget to drink water because, frankly, it’s forgettably boring, or we put it off because it’s inconvenient. Yet for seniors the stakes are far higher than for any other age group. Dehydration in the elderly can lead to confusion, an increased risk of falls, organ failure and even death.
Southport, CT (PRWEB) August 3, 2006 -- From weight-loss advisers to kids’ sports organizations, from healthcare practitioners to skin care professionals, the benefits of staying hydrated and drinking more water have been touted full-tilt from every possible angle in recent years. Yet, for one group in particular, the message is clearly not getting through: recent studies suggest that senior citizens are dangerously prone to dehydration, and the health hazards of this easily preventable condition are startling.
“This is a crucial issue for the elderly,” confirms Carol Ann Wetmore, MSN, RN, ACM, the director of case management and social services at Bridgeport Hospital, “because dehydration is both more prevalent and more dangerous as we age. Unless there is a medical reason to limit fluids, maintaining hydration should be a top priority.” In fact, Dr. Linda Honan Pellico, an assistant professor of nursing at Yale University, points out that, in an article in the June 2006 issue of the American Journal of Nursing, 31% of seniors in one study at a long-term care facility were clinically dehydrated. Also, in another study cited in the same review, nearly half of the elderly patients admitted to the hospital through the Emergency Department had laboratory tests that revealed dehydration. What’s more, a recent report from the federal Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA) found that dehydration is one of the most commonly-diagnosed conditions among patients on Medicare, accounting for nearly $450 million in healthcare costs each year.
"Drinking the standard eight glasses of water a day is one of the easiest – and most neglected – steps to staying healthy for people of all ages,” notes Nina Riley, founder and CEO of Water Sensations, Inc. “We often forget to drink water because, frankly, it’s forgettably boring, or we put it off because it’s inconvenient,” Riley adds. She and co-founder Carolyn Frzop established the company just last year to launch their Water Sensations line of sugar free, calorie free, carb free portable clear liquid flavor enhancers for water. The company often works with healthcare professionals like Ms. Wetmore and Dr. Honan Pellico to increase compliance with hydration regimens in patients of all ages using its convenient – and memorable – product line.
Yet for seniors the stakes are far higher than for any other age group. Dehydration in the elderly can lead to confusion, an increased risk of falls, organ failure and even death. In fact, according to the HCFA’s report, about half of all patients over 65 admitted to the hospital for an illness accompanied by dehydration die within a year. Researchers attribute the prevalence of dehydration in seniors to a number of factors that converge as we age to make it difficult for our bodies to retain water properly, use it efficiently, and signal us when it needs more:
1. Medication – Some of the most commonly-prescribed medications for seniors, including those used to treat blood pressure conditions and heart disease, act as diuretics, robbing the body of needed fluids. On a positive note, Connecticut-based endocrinologist and diabetologist Judy Hochstadt, MD, points out that taking their daily doses of medicines creates a good opportunity for getting a daily dose of water, too. “Water is needed by the digestive system in order to properly metabolize medications as well,” Dr. Hochstadt adds.
2. Fading Thirst – As we age, our thirst sensation literally begins to fade, making it difficult for the elderly to recognize their bodies’ need for water. Researchers in 2002 followed two groups of men – one elderly, one young – on a strenuous 10-day hike, and found that the older men had progressively less thirst and more severe dehydration as the study progressed, while the younger men had no dehydration. What’s worse, seniors who have suffered the onset of neurological impairments due to Alzheimer’s disease, stroke or other conditions may simply forget to drink and/or to eat.
3. Water Conservation – As we age, the kidneys become less adept at filtering toxins. To compensate, they use more of the body’s water than is actually needed to make urine. To complicate matters, many people intentionally drink less fluid, in order to avoid too many trips to the bathroom if they have difficulty with mobility or if there is discomfort with the process. In extreme cases, neglectful caregivers will intentionally withhold fluids in order to reduce urine output in their elderly charges.
4. Temperature Regulation – The body’s ability to regulate temperature also decreases with age, leading to increased perspiration and loss of fluids in extreme heat. And seniors on fixed incomes are often disproportionately affected by extreme heat, particularly those who live alone.
5. Disease Management – In acute illnesses like colds, flu, diarrhea or pneumonia – common among patients over 65 – water intake is critical to replace lost fluids. And certain chronic diseases that are prevalent among the elderly, like diabetes, are associated with heightened bladder activity, which can cause dangerous levels of dehydration very quickly.
Seniors with congestive heart failure, kidney failure or other health problems are often placed on fluid-restricted diets, and should follow their health care practitioners’ instructions regarding fluid intake. For others, however, drinking more water is a healthy recommendation. “Finding ways to encourage seniors to drink plenty of water on a regular basis is key to their health and well-being in so many ways,” Riley concludes. “Whether it’s a chart on the kitchen wall to remind them, or a call each day from a caring family member, or something special like a twist of lemon or a flavor-enhancer in their water glass, each step can help us address this dangerous, costly, painful and preventable problem of dehydration among seniors.”
About Water Sensations, Inc.
Water Sensations, Inc. markets the industry’s newest water enhancer, Water Sensations®, as the first clear liquid flavor enhancer for water. All natural and sweetened with sucralose, Water Sensations® is sugar free, calorie free and carbohydrate free. Water Sensations® is available in more than 3,500 stores in the U.S., including Target, Shop & Stop, The Food Emporium, IGA, Big Y, Krogers and more. Water Sensations, Inc. was founded in 2005 by Nina Riley, a marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in classic marketing and brand management for companies including Philips Electronics, Unilever, Lipton, General Foods and General Mills. Ms. Riley has developed brand strategy, retail strategic alliances, advertising campaigns and joint ventures for high profile brands including Norelco Razors, Lipton Soups and Side Dishes, Wishbone Salad Dressings, Lawry’s Seasoning, Ragu Chicken Tonight Simmer Sauces, Post Cereal and more. She holds an MBA from Penn State and a BS from Ithaca College. More information on Ms. Riley and her company, Water Sensations, can be found online at www.WaterSensations.com/health/.
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