Staying hydrated is essential at any age, but it is particularly vital for seniors. Proper hydration can help prevent many common medical concerns that affect senior citizens.
These include hypertension, coronary heart disease, and urinary tract infections. It is crucial for elderly individuals to drink enough water each day to avoid these issues and other health concerns.
Getting Hydration in Assisted Living in Orlando, Florida
As important as it is to remain hydrated, many seniors fail to drink enough to get the recommended daily water intake. How can you encourage seniors to stay well-hydrated? Below are five easy ways to keep seniors in assisted living in Orlando, Florida, stay hydrated and healthy.
1. Make Water More Flavorful
One of the easiest ways to encourage anyone to drink enough water is by making it more appealing. Many seniors struggle with the lack of flavor when drinking water. To make it more appetizing, you can add pieces of real fruit to infuse a light flavor into the water.
Water can be paired with watermelon, berries, grapefruit, pineapple, or oranges. This approach is especially effective if you add the fruit hours in advance and allow the flavor to be infused into the water beforehand.
2. Set Reminders
Nowadays, we rely heavily on phones, watches, and other technology to give us daily reminders for important tasks. There’s no reason staying hydrated can’t be one of these tasks! Set an hourly reminder on your phone, smartwatch, or other device to give a reminder that it’s time to drink some water.
This approach is particularly helpful for seniors who are enjoying independent living in Orlando. When a caretaker cannot always be present to remind them to stay hydrated, technology can step in and provide a gentle reminder.
3. Provide Hydrating Snacks
For seniors who are strongly resistant to drinking enough water, hydration can be provided through food as well. Providing hydrating snacks can help compensate for some of their daily water intake. Hydrating snacks include the following and more:
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Watermelon
- Applesauce
- Snap peas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Grapes
You can get creative with these snacks by making veggie trays with hummus dips or fruit salads with various types of melon. Fruit cocktails with softer fruits are particularly beneficial for seniors who have difficulty chewing or who have dentures.
4. Create Small Goals
When you reside in a facility for assisted living in Orlando, Florida, you will find many seniors who are goal oriented. For these seniors, setting small goals can help them stay on track with their hydration.
To surpass the daily recommended intake of 64 ounces, you can set a goal of drinking 8 ounces per hour. This amount is a small, achievable goal for many seniors that will help them stay motivated when keeping up with their hydration.
5. Use Straws or Lidded Cups
Keeping seniors hydrated may be as simple as changing what they drink from. Many seniors struggle with shaky hands and certain motor skills. These ailments can make it difficult to hold a cup or drink from something with a wide lid. Providing drinks with straws, lids, or narrow openings can help make drinking water easier for elderly individuals.
Staying hydrated is essential for many seniors. With these steps it will be easier to remain hydrated while having fun.
