A systematic review of 23 published research studies on the risk of dehydration in people 65 and older left researchers with little conclusive evidence about causes or a solution, investigators reported in the Annals of Long-Term Care

Diane Bunn, M.Sc., and colleagues said they could not identify “any proven effective strategies for dehydration prevention and/or increasing fluid intake for the older person living in long-term care facilities due to the high risk of bias in the studies reviewed.”

A recent study noted at least one-third of the 1.6 million U.S. nursing home residents may have malnutrition or dehydration.