Preventing Dehydration in Seniors with Dementia

1. Preventing Dehydration in Seniors
with Dementia
By: Insight Memory Care Choices

2. Preventing Dehydration in Seniors with Dementia
Based in Woodside, California, Insight Memory Care Choices helps families select the best
assisted living centers for their loved ones. Run by Sandra Wallace, a licensed and experienced
assisted living administrator, Insight Memory Care Choices provides advice to families on the risks
facing seniors with dementia, including dehydration.

3. Preventing Dehydration in Seniors with Dementia
Seniors diagnosed with dementia are at a higher risk of dehydration than others. In the early
stages of dementia, the person cannot recall when he or she last drank water. As the disease
progresses, the person may forget where the taps are, where the glasses are kept, how to open a
faucet, or even how to swallow water. In the more advanced stages of dementia, a person can lose
the sense of what thirst feels like and be unable to communicate it to a caregiver.

4. Preventing Dehydration in Seniors with Dementia
Sometimes, patients fail to drink water because their mobility is limited, or they have bladder
control issues and fear incontinence. The situation is made more complex if the person is taking
medications that promote fluid loss or lives in a hot environment.

5. Preventing Dehydration in Seniors with Dementia
Dehydration has severe effects on the body ranging from muscle pains to fatigue, nausea, and
body weakness. Seniors with dementia may not know how to express that they are thirsty, so
caregivers should watch out for signs of dehydration like dry mouth and eyes, headaches,
dizziness or weakness, reduced urination, dark urine, and increased confusion. To get seniors to
drink more water, caregivers can place glasses of water in easily seen and reachable areas, place
straws in the glasses to make drinking easier, and offer meals with items such as soup. Caregivers
should also make a point to help seniors drink water throughout the day.