Is Caffeine Harmful to my Elderly Mom?

So many people depend on caffeine to start their day, but rarely do they stop to consider whether it is harming their health. Family caregivers should take the time to learn about the health effects of caffeine on their aging loved ones, so they can work with elderly care providers to increase or decrease caffeine consumption.

What Does Research Show?

Recent studies reveal that too much caffeine can have a negative effect on an elderly person’s health and wellness. Most people know that caffeine affects the nervous system, providing that jolt of energy, but it also affects several other parts of the body, often in negative ways. Family caregivers and elderly care providers owe it to the aging adult to look after their health and nutrition, and that means learning about how caffeine affects an elderly person’s body.

Elderly Care Springfield PA – Is Caffeine Harmful to my Elderly Mom?

Here are the top medical findings regarding caffeine consumption and aging adults:

Caffeine Affects the Nervous System

Elderly adults often have trouble regulating their nervous system internally. Chronic conditions and illnesses may be exacerbated due to caffeine. Symptoms of too much caffeine include rapid heartbeat, headaches, jitters, tremors and anxiety. In small doses, however, caffeine can help elderly adults be more focused and have higher energy levels.

Caffeine Affects Digestion

Caffeine can irritate the digestive system and cause all kinds of chronic gastrointestinal issues to flare up. If elderly adults suffer from conditions like acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers, colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, they won’t feel much better if they have lots of caffeine.

Caffeine Causes Dehydration

Caffeine is a diuretic, which means that it increases urine and causes fluids to be pulled from the body. Elderly adults are already at a higher risk of dehydration because an aging body doesn’t hold onto fluids as well as younger adults. An excess of caffeine can hasten dehydration in seniors, who may mistakenly believe they are properly hydrating by drinking caffeine beverages.

Caffeine Can Affect Nutrition

Like many drugs, caffeine can affect how certain vitamins and minerals may be absorbed by the body. Essential minerals like magnesium, zinc and calcium can be harder for seniors to absorb when they have too much caffeine. Because many elderly adults struggle to absorb nutrients anyhow, caffeine may make the problem worse.

Caffeine Interferes with Diabetes

Studies show that caffeine can raise blood glucose levels when ingested, so if an elderly person is struggling with diabetes, it can make it harder to control their levels. Too much caffeine can throw their blood sugar levels way off.

There’s no doubt that family caregivers should check with their aging relative’s doctor about caffeine consumption. Then, they and the elderly care provider can modify the elderly adult’s diet for maximum health and wellness.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Springfield PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.

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Perry C. Doc Alleva, Owner & Administrator

Owner & Administrator at True Direct Home Health Care

True Direct HHC owner and administrator, Perry C. Doc Alleva has been in the health care community for over 10 years as a therapy solutions provider, as well as a home care services coordinator. He has extensive experience in caring for the disabled and the surgical acute, sub-acute, and rehab population. Rooted in his home-town city of Philadelphia, with strong ties to it's vast neighborhoods and communities, he's now focusing all his energies towards innovating the home health care agency's role in providing the essential care needed from individual to the family throughout the community.

Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.

"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."

In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.

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