When the weather is warm, it’s important that seniors stay hydrated. Seniors who don’t drink enough can suffer from symptoms like dizziness or exhaustion caused by dehydration.
If you work or have other responsibilities and can’t be with your senior parents all day, senior home care is a good idea. If your mom or dad has senior home care, someone will be in the house with them to ensure that they are drinking fluids and don’t develop a heat-related illness.
Getting your mom or dad to drink enough fluids in hot weather can be a real challenge, especially if they don’t like plain water. Water is the best thing for seniors to drink, but it’s not the only thing that helps keep your mom or dad hydrated in warm weather.
If you or senior home care providers are not having any luck getting your senior parent to drink enough water, try these options:
Fruit-Infused Water
Adding slices of fruits like lemon, lime, cucumber, or berries to water can enhance its flavor and make it more appealing. You can get a special infusion pitcher with a hollow center core where you can put fruit or cucumber slices or just put some fruit into the water and refrigerate it, then take the fruit out before serving.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is a natural source of hydration that contains electrolytes, making it an excellent drink for seniors in hot weather. It’s lightly sweet and can be a refreshing alternative to plain water. Coconut water is available in any store, so it’s easy to get. Coconut milk is a good option, too.
Cucumber Slices
Cucumbers are mostly water, so eating them will help your mom or dad stay hydrated in hot weather. Sliced cucumbers with a little dressing or dip are cool and refreshing on a hot day. You can also turn them into a meal by tossing sliced cucumbers and grape tomatoes with dill, olive oil, and some feta or mozzarella cheese cubes.
Protein Shakes
Protein shakes are a great drink option for seniors in hot weather, especially if your mom or dad doesn’t have a lot of appetite because of the heat. One protein shake can have up to 30 grams of protein.
Protein shakes are very refreshing and served cold, but you can also pour them into popsicle makers with some fresh or frozen fruit to make cold and creamy summer treats that are healthy as well as delicious.
Cantaloupe Cubes
Like cucumbers, melons are mostly water, but they have a nice sweetness that makes them an ideal breakfast or dessert in hot weather. Try giving your mom or dad cubed cantaloupe with cottage cheese as a snack or making them a bowl of cubed melon for breakfast. Giving your senior parents foods that are mostly water is a good way to keep them hydrated if they refuse to drink more water.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care in Grand Island, NE, please contact the caring staff at AmanaCare today. Call (402) 440-5878, for Central Nebraska Call 308-663-3828
AmanaCare Provides Senior Home Care Services in Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, North Platte, Hastings, Omaha, Columbus, Broken Bow, Scottsbluff, Norfolk, and surrounding areas.
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