Dehydration of the elderly in nursing homes : from a care-giver perspective
Tarla, Beltha Musaa (2014)
Arcada - Nylands svenska yrkeshögskola
2014
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201401161416
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201401161416
Tiivistelmä
Maintaining adequate hydration among nursing home residents is a continuous challenge. The elderly easily get dehydrated despite the constant and regular care offered to them in nursing homes. This is due to the ageing process like diminished functional ability and physiological factors such as poor thirst sensation. Emphasis must be placed more on the prevention of dehydration than its treatment. Amongst residents receiving terminal care dehydration is a common problem hence caregivers should pay special attention to it in care plan.
Aim: The aim of this study is to find out how dehydration affects the wellbeing of the elderly and the remedy. Hence the research questions are to find out the risk factors of dehydration and how it can be prevented. Method: The method used is systematic litera-ture review and data collected was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The search engines used were EBSCO and Google Scholar. Results: The results were grouped into categories and sub-categories with their respective themes. It was found out risk factors of dehydration range from physiological factors such as reduced total body water, func-tional factors such as reduced mobility and environmental factors such as isolation. De-hydration can be prevented by ensuring that the elderly drink adequately and this can be done by using strategies like drinking in little portions with a mixture of variety of fluids. Conclusion: In conclusion dehydration can be avoided if the care-givers are well trained to be able to identify when the clients are at risk of dehydration.
Aim: The aim of this study is to find out how dehydration affects the wellbeing of the elderly and the remedy. Hence the research questions are to find out the risk factors of dehydration and how it can be prevented. Method: The method used is systematic litera-ture review and data collected was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The search engines used were EBSCO and Google Scholar. Results: The results were grouped into categories and sub-categories with their respective themes. It was found out risk factors of dehydration range from physiological factors such as reduced total body water, func-tional factors such as reduced mobility and environmental factors such as isolation. De-hydration can be prevented by ensuring that the elderly drink adequately and this can be done by using strategies like drinking in little portions with a mixture of variety of fluids. Conclusion: In conclusion dehydration can be avoided if the care-givers are well trained to be able to identify when the clients are at risk of dehydration.