Drink Plenty of Water
Within the past week, I have gone from wearing winter coat and gloves, to shortsleeves and shorts. Admittedly, I do prefer the latter temperature conditions. It does feel that summer is finally making an appearance.
But, just today, a friend mentioned the uptick in humidity was beginning to bother her. As a reminder to ALL, drinking plenty of water during daytime hours is Important.
As we move into warmer weather, many of us are beginning to think about vacations and beach weather. With temperatures already reaching into the 90’s in many parts of the country, people are looking for the cooling relief of shade, air conditioned homes, swimming pools, and the beach. However, the heat of summer can bring trouble to our elderly population. Age and physical frailty can expose seniors to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and possible heat stroke.
You’ve probably heard your mother say “drink lots of water”. Now, we need to remind our elders with the same message. Many, many seniors fall into the bad habit of minimal water intake. And living alone with no home care staff to provide cues and reminders leaves seniors vulnerable to dehydration.
In a simple definition, dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body through normal perspiration and urine is greater than the amount being ingested through water intake and other fluids. On a normal day, a person has to drink a significant amount of water to replace normal, routine loss. On a steamy, hot day, this is even more important. If you remember that 75% of your body weight is made up of water, you realize that adequate fluid replenishment is essential.
Dehydration occurs because there is too much water lost or not enough water taken in. Many times, dehydration is a combination of both.
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John D. Miller is the founder/owner of Home Care Partners, LLC, a Massachusetts business providing private duty, personalized in-home assistance and companion care services to those needing help in daily activities and household functions.
Phone: (781) 378-2164
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://homecarepartnersma.com