It’s gettin’ hot in here: JU Nursing Prof. Linda Shubert discusses dehydration in Florida Times-Union

Just in time for the dreaded dog days of summer heat in the Jacksonville area, Linda Shubert, professor of nursing at JU, discusses dehydration in older adults in the regular “Nursed to Health” feature in The Florida Times-Union’s H for Health section.

Linda Shubert, MSN

In a story on the section’s front Wednesday, July 24, Shubert discusses the warning signs and remedies for dehydration in older adults, and relates the recent case of “Gladys” that she treated:

The very things that make summer special can set older adults up for dehydration. Being aware of risk factors for developing dehydration, preventing it and watching for early signs can help older adults avoid hospitalization.

Caregivers and family members can miss early signs of dehydration in the older adult, as symptoms in the population are atypical, vague and confused with other problems that are common complaints in older people.

Some of the easiest signs to recognize are dry mouth; lack of tears or sweat; muscle weakness or cramps; decrease in urine output or dark, concentrated urine; constipation; confusion (or increase in confusion in an already confused older adult); nausea and vomiting; heart palpitations; light-headedness; and a fever when no other signs of infection are present.

Information for Nursed to Health is based on actual and composite cases of patients treated by students, alumni and faculty of Jacksonville University’s School of Nursing. Names and specific medical information have been changed to protect private health information, and any similarity is coincidental. For more information about JU’s School of Nursing, visit www.ju.edu/nursing. Readers with specific questions regarding their own health concerns should seek the advice of their health-care provider.

Read the entire article (and Gladys’ case) by clicking here.