My elderly mum is increasingly reluctant to take in fluids, and this has become critical.
This began with her taking increasingly small sips of drinks, and often not wanting to accept a drink at all.
Is this common?
Is it caused by the dementia, or by dehydration itself, or something else?
Does it have a psychological origin? For example, I know my mum hates wetting her incontinence pad, so could she have worked out that not drinking is a way to avoid passing water (or is that too subtle?); or maybe she is sick of me continually pestering her to take a drink, all day; or something maybe something else.
Or does it have a physical cause? A nurse who was visiting persuaded my mum to have a good sip of squash from a beaker, but then the whole lot was spat out. If the body is dehydrated why on earth should it reject fluids?
Does anyone have any comments or suggestions?
This began with her taking increasingly small sips of drinks, and often not wanting to accept a drink at all.
Is this common?
Is it caused by the dementia, or by dehydration itself, or something else?
Does it have a psychological origin? For example, I know my mum hates wetting her incontinence pad, so could she have worked out that not drinking is a way to avoid passing water (or is that too subtle?); or maybe she is sick of me continually pestering her to take a drink, all day; or something maybe something else.
Or does it have a physical cause? A nurse who was visiting persuaded my mum to have a good sip of squash from a beaker, but then the whole lot was spat out. If the body is dehydrated why on earth should it reject fluids?
Does anyone have any comments or suggestions?