Care UK has published a booklet on hydration and distributed it to all of its 124 care homes to mark Nutrition and Hydration Week.
The booklet covers every aspect of hydration from why older people are more likely to suffer from dehydration to how to create safe drinks for people who have problems with normal swallowing.
The booklet includes recipes that Care UK teams are already using to help residents stay hydrated.
The recipes include a range of garnished flavoured waters, mocktails, strawberry iced tea and fruit puree drinks – all of which will be served to residents in Care UK homes.
As well as drinks, the booklet also helps care home colleagues to find out more about how different foods can also help residents with hydration – of particular importance in those who may be reluctant to drink.
For example, the book shows how a ripe tomato is actually 94 per cent water, cauliflower is 87 per cent and melon 90 per cent.
“Every single person working in our homes has a role to play in ensuring that people living there are properly hydrated,” said Care UK hotel services manager and lead author James Clear.
“From a maintenance person sitting down with a resident for a mid-morning cuppa to a carer encouraging people to have a piece of fruit as a snack, every interaction helps. With this in mind, I wanted to make sure that our teams have accurate, easy to access information to brush up their knowledge and I think this booklet does that admirably,” he added.
Care UK has also produced a general guide to hydration which will be of particular interest to anyone caring for an older person or someone with disabilities in their own home.
The guide, which includes tips, recipes and ideas for making hydration fun, can be downloaded free of charge here.
