Dehydration Prevention: Facilities Must Monitor Intake & Output
Dehydration poses a major threat to the overall health of nursing home patients as the condition may exacerbate existing complications or cause other conditions to manifest themselves. Dehydrated patients may be at risk for conditions such as kidney failure, low blood volume (hypovolemic shock), electrolyte imbalances, development of decubitus ulcers or death. Consequently, nursing homes must appreciate the risk of patients becoming dehydrated and implement measures to ensure that patients remain well hydrated. Depending on the person’s risk for dehydration, a nursing home may order fluid intake and output to be measured by staff either during a specific time period...
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Seems Like Common Sense, Yet Many Medical Facilities Continue To Ignore Patients Daily Hydration Needs
By the looks of many nursing home patients' physical appearance, you'd think they were living in the desert. Rather than a weakened appearance due to trekking through the Sahara, most of these patients suffer the effects of dehydration due to improper care and general neglect. Dehydration occurs when the amount of water leaving the body is greater than the amount of water taken in. Water is routinely lost when a person breathes, sweats, urinates or has a bowel movement and as humidified air leaves the body. Dehydration is caused by too much water being lost, not enough water being taken in,...
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