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The stark message comes from the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) and follows its publication of shocking figures, which reveal that in the period 2005 to 2009, 667 care home residents died of complications caused as a direct result of dehydration.
To try and prevent further deaths, the NACC has produced a new booklet, 'Heat Advice', which can be downloaded for free from its website and which sets out to highlight the symptoms of dehydration in elderly and vulnerable people, with information on how to try and prevent it.
Says Derek johnson, NACC chairman: "When the sun comes out in the UK we tend to relax and enjoy ourselves. This is not the time to forget about the most vulnerable in society, who become over-heated and suffer from heat related issues. Nationally, it costs almost £1 billion a year to treat dehydration and it is preventable simply by drinking more." Dehydration is a major cause of hospitalisation among the elderly because older people are more susceptible to the condition for a number of reasons. As we age, the body is less efficient in storing fluids, which are lost through activities like sweating, urination and simply breathing.
An older person's body has approximately 10 per cent less fluid than that of a younger adult. The physiological changes associated with the aging process can also reduce the sensations that cause feelings of thirst and hunger, making older folk less likely to reach for a drink or food even when they need it.
In addition, medicines such as diuretics and laxatives have side-effects that may make their users more susceptible to dehydration, while medical conditions, including high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and even common infections, may cause or exacerbate the condition, signs of which may initially be vague and mild and may be confused with dementia or Alzheimer's making it more difficult to spot in the care home setting. Symptoms of dehydration can include confusion, dizziness, irritability and disorientation. Other signs are muscle weakness, sunken eyes, fever, an irregular heartbeat and low blood pressure. However, its complications can include kidney failure, shock and coma.
Supplying drinks frequently - water, squashes, fruit juices - even when not requested is recommended, as is preparing and serving meals that contain foods rich in sodium and potassium, both of which are minerals essential to the body to help it maintain its balance of water and electrolytes. Both sodium and potassium are found in fresh fruit, leafy green vegetables, dairy products, fish, meat and wholegrains.
Adds Rick Wilson, dietetic manager at king's College Hospital, london: "Good nutritional care is an investment in independence. Well nourished individuals are more capable of looking after themselves both physically and mentally. Poor nutrition and hydration leads to poor health
and a greater need for care."
To download the NACC's 'Heat Advice' booklet, log on to www.thenacc.co.uk.
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