93-yr-old MIL won't drink because she doesn't want to have to urinate. She gets dizzy and it seems to be dehydration. She is incontinent.
She is incontinent and wears protection. We've tried explaining that she needs to drink. Her husband passed away from kidney failure. Any idea how to reach her? She is generally rational but not about this.
Nice looking drinks. Hot or cold. Soups, yogurt, jelly, fruit offered at meals.
I don't know how to actually get more fluids in - you can encourage & temp.. but it's up to them... I do know my Mother survives despite her apparent lack of hydration.
I read the other day we take in a lot of water through our skin in a bath or even shower. I'll have to look into that.. Of course the elderley often skip that too 😔
Nope, no idea. I talked to my mother constantly about staying hydrated and she refused to drink fluids for the same reason your MIL refuses. She'll do what she wants to do no matter WHAT you say, unfortunately, especially if any dementia is involved. Let her live out her remaining time as she sees fit rather than harping out the same old tune ad nauseum. Mom lived to 95 and was the last man standing out of 8 siblings.
I once took care of a friend who had kidney disease. Fluids in and out had to be carefully measured . She was Asian and ate a lot of rice. Her doctor warned that cooked rice was mostly water and that we must take into account how much rice she ate.
I suppose that any food that requires water to cook it and swells up - rice, spaghetti,, noodles, oatmeal and the like - would be a good thing to include in your mom’s diet.
93? You are going to die of SOMETHING, eventually aren't you? I, at 81, can so identify here. And I, as an old nurse, will tell you that almost ALL elders enter the ER with blood work showing dehydration. In fact, a normal routine blood draw will usually show dehydrations. Aging, especially aging WOMEN, have thinning of the urethra, frontal love changes, and etc that can lead to frequency and urgency even when the bladder has minimal amounts of urine. Being "out there" for some activity and having to constantly worry about where the bathroom is if the IS a bathroom is always in the back of the mind. Answer? Well, of course, don't drink. You will have to go less.
You are doing what you can. Suggest fluids. But do know that at 93 something is coming. We just looked out the window last Thanksgiving Night to see our neighbor go off in the ambulance. Many elders on this street and many ambulances. We always kind of shrug and wonder when it will be us, and when they will be staring out the window at OUR ambulance field trip. Because it's inevitable, unless the hearse comes first.
If she has no problems swallowing try these: Jell-O Lots of fruits Popsicles Soup Yogurt (freeze some it is like ice cream) Freeze or partially freeze Protein drinks, Again it is like ice cream.
One way to explain it is if she refuses to drink it would be a trip to the hospital for an IV to replace fluids.
You do not mention MIL in your profile. Does she have a diagnosis of dementia? Does she have a POLST indicating what her wishes are for her health care? The reason this is important is if she has indicated on a POLST that she does not want IV's that might not be an option.
Work at changing her hydration in other ways - -increase the amount of fruits and veggies that have a higher water content -offer beverages like hot chocolate, milkshakes, smoothies -include soups and stews in her daily meal plan -include those tiny juice glasses of fruit juice for breakfast and vegetable juice with her dinner -in fact offer everything in tiny cups and glasses so she doesn't get overwhelmed by the volume -we've tricked kids for years with things like popsicles, jello, fruit sherbet
Rather than trying to get her to drink, serve her fruits and veggies with high water content. Think watermelon and other melons, grapes, zucchini, cucumbers, bell pepper; also, lots of soups and broths.
"You can quickly check for dehydration at home. Pinch the skin over the back of the hand, on the abdomen, or over the front of the chest under the collarbone. This will show skin turgor. Mild dehydration will cause the skin to be slightly slow in its return to normal."
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I don't know how to actually get more fluids in - you can encourage & temp.. but it's up to them... I do know my Mother survives despite her apparent lack of hydration.
I read the other day we take in a lot of water through our skin in a bath or even shower. I'll have to look into that.. Of course the elderley often skip that too 😔
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I suppose that any food that requires water to cook it and swells up - rice, spaghetti,, noodles, oatmeal and the like - would be a good thing to include in your mom’s diet.
I, at 81, can so identify here. And I, as an old nurse, will tell you that almost ALL elders enter the ER with blood work showing dehydration. In fact, a normal routine blood draw will usually show dehydrations. Aging, especially aging WOMEN, have thinning of the urethra, frontal love changes, and etc that can lead to frequency and urgency even when the bladder has minimal amounts of urine. Being "out there" for some activity and having to constantly worry about where the bathroom is if the IS a bathroom is always in the back of the mind. Answer? Well, of course, don't drink. You will have to go less.
You are doing what you can. Suggest fluids. But do know that at 93 something is coming. We just looked out the window last Thanksgiving Night to see our neighbor go off in the ambulance. Many elders on this street and many ambulances. We always kind of shrug and wonder when it will be us, and when they will be staring out the window at OUR ambulance field trip. Because it's inevitable, unless the hearse comes first.
Best out to you.
Jell-O
Lots of fruits
Popsicles
Soup
Yogurt (freeze some it is like ice cream)
Freeze or partially freeze Protein drinks, Again it is like ice cream.
One way to explain it is if she refuses to drink it would be a trip to the hospital for an IV to replace fluids.
You do not mention MIL in your profile. Does she have a diagnosis of dementia? Does she have a POLST indicating what her wishes are for her health care? The reason this is important is if she has indicated on a POLST that she does not want IV's that might not be an option.
-increase the amount of fruits and veggies that have a higher water content
-offer beverages like hot chocolate, milkshakes, smoothies
-include soups and stews in her daily meal plan
-include those tiny juice glasses of fruit juice for breakfast and vegetable juice with her dinner
-in fact offer everything in tiny cups and glasses so she doesn't get overwhelmed by the volume
-we've tricked kids for years with things like popsicles, jello, fruit sherbet
https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-water
Do you know how to check for dehydration?
"You can quickly check for dehydration at home. Pinch the skin over the back of the hand, on the abdomen, or over the front of the chest under the collarbone. This will show skin turgor. Mild dehydration will cause the skin to be slightly slow in its return to normal."