This story was contributed by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. It addresses the importance of hydration in our parents’ overall health & safety.
On several occasions my sister and I noticed that my Mom’s dementia would get worse. We worried that this was the “beginning of the end” of her mental competency. I recall when she started holding a terrible grudge against one of our favorite caregivers at her Assisted Living Home. The caregiver’s name was Jane, but she insisted on calling her Alice! She would relay to me that “Alice” would take showers, try on her clothes and entertain men in her apartment when she went to bed. We tried to convince her that she would never do these things, but she stuck to her story and accused us of being very naïve when we didn’t believe her!
When we took my Mom to her primary care physician, we’d routinely review all that was going on at the time, which often included falls and the worsening dementia. The doctor would check her urine and come back with the report that she had a UTI (urinary tract infection). We learned that the infection was the result of dehydration, which in turn caused her dementia to get worse. She told us that it could also be a contributing factor to her frequent falls.
We were happy that an antibiotic would clear the infection and therefore her dementia and we had struggled to find ways to minimize her falls, so this was an important discovery. Her doctor indicated that the juices, sodas, coffee and Ensure my mother liked weren’t anywhere near as good as “plain ole’ water,” for staying hydrated. She suggested we try putting Crystal Lite in it to make it taste better. It took time, but eventually grew to like it and drinks it all the time now. We buy 8oz bottles of water and pour the small packs of lemonade-flavored Crystal Lite into them and shake it up well. She likes to drink it with a straw. We make sure there is always a bottle by her side, but don’t have to remind her to drink it as much as we used to.
Dehydration can have debilitating consequences in the elderly. Watch for signs like confusion, irritability, low urine output, dry skin, constipation, dizziness, hypotension or infection. They could be indicators of dehydration, which can lead to falls, stroke and renal failure. Better yet, do whatever you can to get your parents into the water habit right now!
