Dehydration a concern for both caregiver and aging and ill patients

Dehydration manifests itself similar to many diseases. As people age, they are more prone to becoming dehydrated. Similarly, those who are ill must strive to stay hydrated to maintain quality of life. Many times it is up to the caregiver to determine the hydration level of the care receiver. In order for the caregiver to be able to monitor the patient, the caregiver must also be hydrated. I know when I was my aunt’s caregiver my attention was always directed at her health, not mine. I carefully monitored her liquid intake without ever thinking about mine. Looking back, I know that some of my fatigue, headaches, and lack of focus were because I was not staying hydrated myself. The aging parents and elder care site provides a very good discussion of the signs and symptoms of dehydration and a list of the water content in foods that you can offer your patient and munch on yourself.

Caregiver postage stamp petition

The Future of Aging Blog has done a great job of highlighting the push by the National Family Caregivers Association to get a caregiver stamp. I think this is a great idea. There needs to be more political discussion about the dilemmas and contributions to society by family caregivers. If you agree that this is a worthy cause, please click here to help push for a Caregiver Commemorative Stamp.