Jelly drops

[esme6849]

My mum has dementia and she doesn't drink enough. We have tried all sorts of things to try and encourage her to drink, but she doesn't seem to have any sense of feeling thirsty. So I bought her a box of Jelly Drops for her to try. When I gave them to her, I found it hard to explain to her what they were for as I have never had a good relationship with her and I always feel anxious when I am trying to explain something to her. It took me having one as well for her to even try one. Unfortunately, the pot she opened first was the raspberry one and they are pretty tasteless. So for the rest of the time that I was staying with her, she didn't touch them again. I think it didn't help that she sat there letting it dissolve on her tongue instead of just chewing and swallowing it.
The following week my sister was staying with mum and she always takes her two young daughters with her, who have a very good relationship with mum. So I hoped that the girls might be able to encourage their grandmother to try them. So, finally to my actual point. Mum ate about 3 of the sweets and the following day had the worst diarrhoea ever. She messed herself very badly and it went everywhere. This happened again the following day and mum decided it was the Jelly Drops. She didn't eat any more of them for the remainder of my sister's visit and didn't have any more diarrhoea. So mum is now convinced that the Jelly Drops caused her problem.
We are sure this is not the case. But my question is, has anyone else had this experience with the sweets?
Also, does anyone have any advice for how we can convince mum that the Jelly Drops were not to blame?

 

[SherwoodSue]

The jellies are only one way to encourage fluids. They aren’t cheap and a whole tray, if consumed are the equivalent of say one cup of tea 250ml

Try water melon. Ice lollies and let the jellies be now ?

 

[esme6849]

The jellies are only one way to encourage fluids. They aren’t cheap and a whole tray, if consumed are the equivalent of say one cup of tea 250ml

Try water melon. Ice lollies and let the jellies be now ?

thank you for your reply. You are right, they were very expensive. I wont be buying them again at this rate. Last time I was at mum's I tried to buy her ice lollies but she didnt want them. Part of the problem for mum is that her freezer is out in the garage so it is an effort for her to go and get anything from it. We have talked about moving it to the dining room but so far nothing has been done to make this happen and I don't live close enough to organise it. I will talk to the sister who lives hear mum again to see if she can get her son to move it into the house. In the summer, the watermelon could be worth a try though.