Date of Award

5-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Primary Advisor

Sheila Jones

Secondary Advisor

Martha Smallwood

Committee Reader

Patricia Hernandez

Abstract

Dehydration in nursing home and long term care facility residents is frequently dismissed

and not treated as a primary concern. However, research has shown that prolonged dehydration in the elderly can result in serious health and cognitive issues. Due to deteriorating physiological conditions and preexisting diseases, dehydration will further complicate a patient’s health condition and exacerbate certain symptoms, lowering overall quality of life. There are a number of underlying factors which contribute to a patient’s hydration status. Research has identified physical, mental and behavioral factors all play a significant role in the willingness and capability of patients to be properly hydrated. In addition, it has been shown that caretakers are critical when it comes to ensuring patient hydration. If effective hydration screening is implemented and caretakers encourage patients to increase their fluid intake, fewer dehydration episodes will occur and the overall quality of life will be improved.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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