Dehydration occurs when a person loses more fluid than they bring in. If a body doesn’t have enough water in its system, it can’t carry out normal functions.

It’s especially important that seniors pay attention to hydration because a lack of fluids can lead to things like delirium, infections, or worse.

How much water do you need?

There are a lot of factors that go into determining how much water a body needs, such as gender, weight, and body fat. Bodies in motion need more than bodies at rest.

As we age, our bodies tend to hold less water. Even sitting can drain a body of much needed fluids quickly. That is why seniors inevitably have more problems with dehydration.

Older adults also lose their perception of thirst. When dehydration sets in for us, we quickly become parched. Not so with seniors, so they might not know they need an intake of fluids until the signs of dehydration set in. [Read more…]