A 93-year-old patient with diarrhea and dehydration is admitted to the hospital from a long-term care facility. For which of the following symptoms of dehydration should the nurse assess?

A. Disorientation and poor skin turgor are classic signs of dehydration, particularly in older adults. Cognitive changes occur due to decreased cerebral perfusion and fluid loss, while poor skin turgor reflects loss of interstitial fluid. B. Decreased hematocrit is more commonly associated with blood loss or anemia, not dehydration. Hypothermia is not a typical manifestation of dehydration. C. Pale-colored urine and bradycardia are not characteristic of dehydration; dehydration usually causes concentrated (dark) urine and tachycardia as a compensatory response. D. Lung congestion is a sign of fluid overload rather than dehydration, and abdominal discomfort is nonspecific and not a primary indicator of dehydration.