Blog > Factors That Affect How Much Water Your Senior Should Drink

Factors That Affect How Much Water Your Senior Should Drink

There are a lot of ways that you and home care providers can work together to help your senior to drink more water. But what is it that affects how much water is the right amount for her? There might be more affecting that answer than you think.

Her Activity Levels

If your elderly family member isn’t moving a lot, she’s less likely to need a ton of water. But as her activity levels increase, it’s also important for her water intake to increase, too. That’s because as her body moves more, your senior’s tissues and organs use water up and she sweats. That water needs to be replaced.

Her Overall Health

Home Care Columbia TN - Factors That Affect How Much Water Your Senior Should Drink — Home Care Columbia TN – Factors That Affect How Much Water Your Senior Should Drink

Illness can also impact how much water your senior needs to be drinking on a daily basis. If your elderly family member has a fever, that’s going to require her to drink more fluids to replace what her body is burning off. People with diabetes need to drink plenty of water in order to help flush excess blood sugar out of their bodies more easily. Your senior’s individual health needs impact how much water she should really be drinking.

Her Diet

What your senior eats and drinks on a typical day can also have an effect on how much water she should drink. If her diet is rich in vegetables and fruits that are high in water content, she’s getting a lot of water already in the food she’s eating. That all counts. But even a diet high in water-rich foods doesn’t completely eliminate your senior’s need to drink water.

The Weather

In the summer your senior probably feels the need to drink more water than she does in fall or winter. That’s not unusual, and it has to do with the temperatures and the weather prompting your senior to sweat more or to simply need more water. Hydrating with warm beverages, like warm herbal tea, is a great idea for cooler months.

The best source of information about your senior’s water intake is always her doctor, of course. But finding ways to keep water interesting and to keep track of how much your senior’s drinking can be important. That’s something that home care providers may be able to help with when you can’t be there. Home care providers can remind your senior to drink plenty of fluids and keep accurate records that help you to know what’s going on.