Veteran Aid and Attendance – Hydration is as Important in Colder Months as it is in Summer
Hydration is an incredibly important topic to discuss with people of all ages. For an aging veteran in your life, winter is a season where not a lot of attention is placed on dehydration. The summer happens to be the season where people are most concerned about someone becoming dehydrated because the amount of sweat produced by the body increases with the temperature.
Yet winter can still be a significant problem for many individuals across the country, not just those in the southern regions. Winter is a time of year where humidity levels are generally quite low throughout the country. On top of that, home heating systems will draw out moisture from the air at significant rates.
If you’ve ever noticed how dry your throat feels in the winter just by sitting around the house, it’s often due to the heat being turned on. Even radiant heating will draw moisture out of the air. Forced hot air increases the amount of moisture lost through a process of heating the home.
Paying attention to how much water a person is drinking throughout the day is important, especially when you’re providing some type of home care for an aging veteran in your life. Dehydration usually only presents the most seemingly innocuous or insignificant signs. However, when somebody becomes severely dehydrated it can have a tremendous impact on their physical condition and overall health.
Certain medications could cause the elderly veteran to become dehydrated more quickly. Numerous high blood pressure medications as well as antidepressants can cause dehydration at a faster rate than normal. That’s because these are considered diuretics. Other prescription medications could cause the senior veteran to sweat more frequently.
If the elderly veteran has difficulty getting up and ambulating on their own, it could make it much more difficult for him to get a drink of water. Relying on a caregiver means that individual should be paying attention to just how much water the veteran is drinking on a regular basis.
Another problem for seniors is their sense of thirst can often be diminished with age. The senior simply might not know he is thirsty and therefore isn’t drinking enough water throughout the day.
It’s recommended that a person drink eight 8-ounces of water every day. If the senior is showing signs of fatigue, confusion, dizziness, or licking his lips frequently, these could all be potential signs of dehydration. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be focused on this important aspect of good health.
For more information and to learn about Veterans Aid and Attendance, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.