Thirst 4 life

Did you know that about 60% of our body is made up of water and that we should drink 2 litres of water a day to keep us healthy? Research by Stoke Mandeville Hospital says as many as 30% of older people being admitted to A&E are dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious problem and if left untreated can eventually lead to death.

Symptoms of dehydration:

Persistent tiredness
Lethargy
Heartburn
Muscle weakness
Cramps
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Back Pain
Rapid breathing
Increased heart rate
Headaches
Dry eyes

Symptoms can sometimes be confused with dementia in older people.

Older people are more at risk due to:

Mobility problems - not being physically able to pour their own drink
Illness - both mental and physical
Medication with a diuretic effect (makes you go to the toilet more often)
Deliberately restricting drinks to reduce how often they have to go to the toilet

How to avoid dehydration

Drink plenty of fluids. Have at least 6 drinks a day. Aim to have at least two non-caffeinated drinks a day such as water, fruit juice, milk, squash. For frail older people or anyone losing weight consider fluids which are also energy and nutrient dense such as milk shakes, horlicks, smoothies or ice cream sodas. Even puddings such as custard, yoghurt, trifle and rice pudding are 80% water.

Some of our daily water requirement comes from foods eg a soft meal such as shepherd's pie has more water than a dry meal such as a cheese sandwich.

Why not try making soups, sorbets, jellies, flavoured ice cubes and smoothies to keep you hydrated? Frozen grapes make an unusual snack or pallet cleanser and are really refreshing.

Our Community Meals provider, Fresh CM, provide a cup of water with every meal delivered.

Water content of fruit and vegetables
Fruit or vegetable	Water content	Fruit or vegetable	Water content
Apples (raw) Applesauce (canned, sweetened) Apricots (raw) Apricots (canned) Asparagus (cooked)	84% 80% 86% 78% 91%	Cucumbers (raw) Grapefruit (pink or red, raw) Grapes (raw) Honeydew Melon (raw) Kiwi fruit (raw)	96% 91% 81% 90% 83%
Avocados (raw) Bananas (raw) Bell Peppers (raw) Blackberries (raw) Blueberries (raw)%	73% 74% 92% 86% 85%	Lettuce (raw) Mangoes (raw) Nectarines (raw) Olives (ripe, canned) Oranges (raw)	96% 82% 86% 80% 87%
Broccoli (cooked) Broccoli (flower clusters, raw) Cabbage (raw) Cantaloupe (raw) Carrots (raw)	91% 91% 92% 90% 88%	Peaches (raw) Peaches (canned) Pears (raw) Pears (canned) Plums (raw)	88% 79% 84% 80% 85%
Cauliflower (raw) Cauliflower (cooked) Celery (raw) Cherries (raw) Corn (1 ear, cooked)	92% 93% 95% 81% 70%	Potato (baked) Raspberries (raw) Strawberries (raw) Tomatoes (raw) Watermelons (raw)	75% 87% 92% 94% 92%

Causes of dehydration

Appetite loss associated with acute illness
Hot weather
Fever
Mouth breathing
Swallowing problems
Excessive alcohol consumption
Excessive urination (polyuria)
Nausea
Bacterial or viral infection or inflammation of the pharynx (pharyngitis)
Inflammation of the mouth caused by illness, infection, irritation, or vitamin deficiency
Disease of the adrenal glands, which regulates the body's water and salt balance and the function of many organ systems
Diabetes mellitus
Eating disorders
Kidney disease
Chronic lung disease