clinical focus
Those pauses that refresh
Helping clients stay cool
and hydrated is a matter of
vigilance and tailoring drinks
to their preferences.
By Linda Kilworth
Someone who is well hydrated will have
pale yellow urine.
FLUID GOALS
There is no recommended daily fluid intake
for older people, although the accepted
minimum is 1500 millilitres. Commonly,
6–8 glasses of water a day is recommended,
but this is not evidence-based. There are
several methods to calculate the exact
fluid intake for older people. An accredited
practising dietitian (APD) can help.
TYPES OF FLUIDS
S
ummer is here and whilst most
people enjoy the warmth, a
common recurrent issue it causes
for older people is dehydration.
The risk for this problem is higher in
older adults, due to physical changes in
body water composition, renal function
and thirst perception. These risks are
exaggerated in summer’s prolonged
periods of hot weather, and can be fatal.
It is important for care teams to work
together and, with the family, encourage
adequate fluid consumption to minimise
complications in this at-risk population.
The body loses fluid as we age. Until
age 40, the proportion of body fluid to
body weight is about 60 per cent in men
and 52 per cent in women. Muscle cells
hold water and men generally have more
of them than women. As we age, we lose
muscle mass. After 60 years, fluid makes up
just 52 per cent of body weight in men and
46 per cent in women.
Concurrently, the kidneys become less
able to concentrate urine, so water loss is
greater in the elderly. In addition, kidney
function declines with age.
Older adults are also less aware of thirst,
due to deterioration of osmoreceptor
sens