Most people don’t think about dehydration; let alone elderly dehydration. It is a common problem, in the aging, and often recognition along with treatment may be delayed; contributing to a high mortality rate. (Lavizzo-Mourey, 1987) By recognizing a potential problem early, you may save an older adult from a debilitating complication. (Hamilton, 2001) The prevention of elderly dehydration will deter illness and increases life expectancy, along with decreasing unnecessary hospitalization and cost.
There are several causes to elderly dehydration, which can be broken down into four groups: physiological factors, psychological factors, functional impairments, and mechanical impairments. (Hamilton, 2001) The physiological factors are: natural 10% body fluid loss, diminish of taste making food less appetizing and adding salt for flavor, thirst diminishes, medications that are diuretics or laxatives, and draining wounds. (Hamilton 2001) The caffeine in coffee and soda, the theophylline in tea, and the throbromine in cocoa, all raise blood pressure along with increase production and elimination of urine. (Vasey, 2002) Alcohol, on the other hand, dries out the mucous membrane causing sclerosis. (Vasey, 2002) Diarrhea, vomiting, or febrile illness also contributes to elderly dehydration. (Moore, 2005) The psychological factors are: depression which contributes to loss of appetite, purposefully decrease fluid to reduce bathroom trips. (Hamilton, 2001) The functional impairments are: coma, paralysis and N.P.O (Nothing Per Orem) patients. (Hamilton, 2001) Elderly individuals with disabilities such as: visual, cognitive or motor impairment may need assists with water intake. (Kavanaugh, 2000) Tubal feeding may need additional water in the nutr...
... middle of paper ...
... Complete database.
6) Lavizzo-Mourey, Risa. (1987). Dehydration in the elderly: a short review. Journal of the National Medical Association, 79(10), Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2625510/pdf/jnma00925-0023.pdf
7) Moore, M.C. (2005). Nutritional assessment and care. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
8) NIH Senior Health, (Producer). (2002). What to drink as you get older. [Web]. Retrieved from http://nihseniorhealth.gov/videolist.html#eatingwell
9) Vasey, C. (2002). The water prescription for health, vitality, and rejuvenation. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.Warren, J., Bacon, W., Harris, T., McBean, A., Foley, D., & Phillips, C. (1994).
10) The Burden and Outcomes Associated with Dehydration among US
Elderly, 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 84(8), 1265. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
...teract. Many of the medications are very powerful in and of themselves. This article also presents additional approaches to medicating the elderly, including focus on reduction of number of medications prescribed. Both articles present the importance of considering the normal physiological changes within geriatric patients.
Today?s healthcare environment calls for continued cost containment while providing better, quality care. As a result of the advances of healthcare, life expectancies have increased resulting in a growing, aged population with more chronic conditions. Treatment options, outside the hospital, are the norm for most routine management of patient care, but when someone gets sick, and requires hospitalization, the combination of their age, chronicity of illness and increased comorbidity
Vital to maintenance of homeostasis is the regulation of plasma osmolality. The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system, which works to regulate blood pressure, plays a crucial role in fluid balance. When dehydration occurs, blood osmolality increases, which stimulates the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), ultimately leading to increased water reabsorption. This leads to more concentrated urine, and less concentrated plasma. Low plasma osmolality works in the opposite fashion: ADH release is inhibited, water reabsorption decreases, and urine is less concentrated. The added electrolytes and carbohydrates in Gatorade would facilitate greater fluid retention through stimulation of renin and vasopressin, increasing urinary sodium reabsorption (3). Studies of both urine volume and plasma volume changes are eff...
(1) Isotonic dehydration happens when there is a proportionate loss of water and electrolytes. Therefore, the electrolytes and water loss are in the similar amount or concentration in both intravascular and extravascular compartment. (2) Hypotonic dehydration happens when electrolytes losses are more than waster loss. Due to the low serum electrolyte concentration, intravascular water shifts to extravascular compartment and intensify the intravascular volume depletion. (3) Hypertonic dehydration happens when water loss is greater than electrolyte loss. Due to the high serum electrolyte concentration, extravascular water shifts to intravascular compartment and decreases the intravascular volume depletion. On the other hand, water is pulled from the cells to extracellular space via osmosis. In order to maintain the fluid volume inside the cells, the cells produce active particles to generate osmotic force to pull the water back. If rapidly rehydration is given, it induces large influx of want into the cells and causes cellular swelling and rupture such as cerebral
Katz, S., Ford, A.B., Moskowitz, R.W., Jackson, B.A., & Jaffe, M.W. (1963). Studies of illness in the aged: The index of ADL: A standardized measure of biological and psychosocial function. JAMA, 185(12),
A number of factors influence the nutritional status of the elderly. First, several physiological changes impact elderly nutritional requirements. Changes in taste and smell may decrease an individual's appetite or desire for food. Gastro-intestinal motility decreases with age and may lead to constipation, decreased nutrient absorption, and a decrease in fat and protein absorption. Metabolism also slows with age; this results in a decrease of lean body mass and an increase in body fat (8). Lastly, bone mass decreases, leaving the elderly vulnerable to bone fractures from falls and osteoporosis.
The human body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood, as well as your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a high percentage of water. Water is extremely important and essential to our health (Kaushik, Mullee, Bryant, Hill, 2007). Dehydration is one of the most common side effects of not consuming enough w...
Water is very important to have in your body. Water is in charge of transporting nutrients throughout your body, removing waste products, controlling out body temperature, etc.. Without water our body would compl...
Dehydration is a condition where an individual uses or loses more fluids than taken in and the body does not have enough fluids to carry out normal functions. Some distinct features of dehydration include dry mucous membranes, decreased urine output, extreme thirst, and dark colored urine. Though anyone can be affected by dehydration, it is most commonly seen in infants and children. These two age groups have a higher prevalence of dehydration compared to other age groups. This is because total body water is found to be the highest in infants and children ranging from 73% to 85%, compared with 58% in adults (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2013). The high percentage of total body fluid predisposes infants and children to a rapid loss of fluids and consequently, causing dehydration. Additionally, those with weaker immune systems and chronic illnesses, such as the very young and very old, are more likely to develop dehydration and suffer from serious complications. More than two million infants and children are affected by dehydration in the United States, while approximately thirty
To begin this study, a sample of four hundred elderly men around the age of seventy was chosen from each region. The two regions specifically involved were Bath and Caerphilly. The subjects
Loue, S. and Sajatovic, M. 2007. Encyclopedia of aging and public health. New York: Springer.
As the kidneys regulate the quantity of fluid which leaves the body, patients who suffer from kidney disease progression, may be not be able to regularize fluid removal from their body. Due to this scenario, their physician or specialist may ask them to reduce their intake of fluid. Lowering daily fluid intake for the renal diet involves: not drinking to socialize or from habit, only having a drink when thirsty, and sucking on a wedge of lemon or chips of ice. It also entails taking measures for monitoring the quantity of fluid that is drunk. This is done by measuring a regularly used glass or cup to measure the quantity of fluid it holds, as well as placing the recommended daily quantity of water into a specific container, and then only taking the fluid that is consumed from this. This insures that the recommended amount is not exceeded (Medical
Waking up everyday and enjoying a glass of ice cold water is a luxury that I enjoy. However, I know that the process to getting a nice glass of ice cold water is not as simple as flipping a faucet nor is it readily available across the world. I believe that people from every socioeconomic background in every part of the world deserves access to clean water in order to live a healthy and happy lifestyle. Thus, my goal is to become Nyree Riley, M.D., Ph.D. and improve the health of the population by making clean water accessible and affordable to people across the globe.
Rationale: Early signs of dehydration include thirst and cessation of perspiration, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, lightheadedness, and orthostatic hypotension. Ackley and Ladwig p. 345
Water is an essential nutrient that our body requires every day. Without water human life cannot be sustained. Water deprivation kills faster than lack of any other nutrient. People do not think of water as a nutrient and don’t realize the important role of water in the body functions.