Hi everyone. Im a little concerned abt mum not drinking enough. We try and encourage her to drink, we make endless cups of tea that she usually leaves, she has a drink on the side but doesnt always touch it!! Yesterday she wee'd once all day! Shes not noticeably suffering but what can i do to make her drink more? Any help would b good, thank u x
dehydrated
- Thread starter chelsea girl
- Start date
Hi Chelsea girl.
Sorry you have this worry about your Mum's drinking (or lack of it) perhaps the link below to one of the Alzheimers fact sheet might help.
Luv
Polly x
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=149
Sorry you have this worry about your Mum's drinking (or lack of it) perhaps the link below to one of the Alzheimers fact sheet might help.
Luv
Polly x
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=149
She may not noticeably be suffering, but dehydration is certainly a potential danger.
Have you tried getting fluids into her by other means, e.g. soups, lollies, etc.? Anything with a high liquid content is worth trying.
Jelly is also good, and tinned or stewed fruit with plenty of juice, and custard. My mother's CH often gives residents such 'old fashioned' things for pudding, and they all seem to like them.
Another thing that may be a factor, your mother may now prefer sweeter drinks than she used to. My mother didn't take sugar in her tea for years, but she now wants at least two spoonfuls and won't drink it without. A lot of people with dementia develop a much sweeter tooth than they used to have. The CH gives them all several small glasses of sweet but fairly weak orange or blackcurrant squash throughout the day, and these seem to go down well with most of them.
Another thing that may be a factor, your mother may now prefer sweeter drinks than she used to. My mother didn't take sugar in her tea for years, but she now wants at least two spoonfuls and won't drink it without. A lot of people with dementia develop a much sweeter tooth than they used to have. The CH gives them all several small glasses of sweet but fairly weak orange or blackcurrant squash throughout the day, and these seem to go down well with most of them.
Luckily a lot of foods with high water content are also very good for you: cucumber, iceberg, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, watermelon, honey melon, strawberries... If she likes those things, give often and in big quantities.
Might be worth checking whether she's finding it hard to hold the cup safely. I recently worked out that my mum wasn't drinking much whenever she visits me, because I used to either give her juice in a large 'tumbler' glass, which was slightly too big for her hand to grasp effectively, or tea either in a big, heavy mug or a dainty teacup with only a small handle (so also hard to hold, not to mention lift to your mouth, when your coordination's all but gone). Luckily I had some smaller glasses at the back of a cupboard, and we now have some lightweight mugs with decent-sized handles. Much more comfortable for Mum = much happier all round.
You have my sympathy.
For years I found it very difficult to get my mum to drink enough. If I got her to drink three mugs of Nesqik strawberry milkshake the only thing she would drink, it was a good day.
Like others above have suggested I resorted to subterfuge .
Very runny porridge for breakfast.
Just to give you some ideas
Yogurts, custard , soup, lollies , ice cream, my mum needed her food very soft or puréed so I mashed up some strawberries , very ripe or tinned pears with custard or ice cream.
As has already been said a persons taste can change overnight , my mum too went from taking no sugar in her tea for decades to needing two spoons at least in every cup of tea.
So it might be worth trying sweeter things or an extra spoonful of sugar in her tea.
It's possible that mum forgets she has a drink beside her, so I'm afraid it is a case of keep reminding her.
For years I found it very difficult to get my mum to drink enough. If I got her to drink three mugs of Nesqik strawberry milkshake the only thing she would drink, it was a good day.
Like others above have suggested I resorted to subterfuge .
Very runny porridge for breakfast.
Just to give you some ideas
Yogurts, custard , soup, lollies , ice cream, my mum needed her food very soft or puréed so I mashed up some strawberries , very ripe or tinned pears with custard or ice cream.
As has already been said a persons taste can change overnight , my mum too went from taking no sugar in her tea for decades to needing two spoons at least in every cup of tea.
So it might be worth trying sweeter things or an extra spoonful of sugar in her tea.
It's possible that mum forgets she has a drink beside her, so I'm afraid it is a case of keep reminding her.
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