Since March is National Caffeine Awareness Month, more people start to think about caffeine intake this time of year. If you’re wondering if your loved one should cut back on caffeine or not, these tips can help you to narrow down potential signs that you shouldn’t ignore.
If She’s Drinking More than Four Cups of Coffee a Day, Cut Back
According to the Mayo Clinic, one brewed cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 95 to 200 milligrams of caffeine. This can vary according to cup size, of course. What this can mean is that if your loved one is drinking four large cups of coffee a day, she can be getting up to 800 milligrams of caffeine, which is a lot.
If a Little Bit Makes Her Jumpy
Just like any other substance, some people are more susceptible to caffeine than other people are. If even a little bit of caffeine makes your loved one jumpy or jittery, then it’s possible that she’s very sensitive to caffeine. In that case, she definitely needs to cut back quite a bit.
If She Can’t Sleep
There’s a lot that can interfere with your elderly loved one’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. One of the worst is getting too much caffeine too late in the day. The first thing to do is to track when your loved one is getting her caffeine. Then you can see if it’s more a time of day issue, a problem with too much caffeine, or a mix of both.
If Some of Her Medications Are Contraindicated for Caffeine
Some medications, such as herbal supplements, bronchodilators, and even antibiotics, can interact with caffeine. The caffeine may make the medications more powerful or they might not work the way that they’re supposed to. Regardless, this means that your loved one needs to cut back. If you’re in doubt at all about this, make sure to talk to her doctor.
Working with a home care provider can help you to spot some of these cues if you aren’t able to be with your loved one as much as you’d like to be.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering home care in Silver Spring, MD to help with memory loss issues, please contact the caring staff at Trusted Touch Healthcare today. We make seniors’ lives better! Call today (301) 272-5140.
