Low-intake dehydration is a common and chronic condition in the older population. It may be related to adverse health outcomes like poorer cognitive performance, reduced quality of life, worsened course of illness and recovery, a high number of unplanned hospital admissions, and increased mortality. 

There are no reliable subjective methods to assess (the risk of) dehydration, limited evidence about its preventive measures, and restricted knowledge about the optimal intake of beverages per day. 

A review by Beck AM. et al., published in  Nutrients, 2021, present the state of the science on the role of low-intake hydration in older adults. It explains that apart from its simple cause, i.e., the inadequate intake of beverages, low-intake dehydration is a very complex problem to address that demands much more research. 

They explained that the existing evidence highlights the importance of considering setting specific differences and individual problems and the need to tackle dehydration in older adults. Further, they deemed it equally necessary to increase awareness of the prevalence and severity of low-intake dehydration among older adults, nursing staff in care homes and hospitals, and caregivers of older adults living at home.

Despite the existing evidence and knowledge, the study emphasized that we need to know more about identifying dehydrated older adults or those at risk within the clinical setting and with a practical focus, particularly among community-dwelling older adults. Next, we must also explore the adequate interventions to improve fluid intake and the adequate amount of fluid intake.

Beck AM, Seemer J, Knudsen AW, Munk T. Narrative Review of Low-Intake Dehydration in Older Adults. Nutrients. 2021; 13(9):3142. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093142