Hi, my mum refuses to drink tap water as she’s convinced theres sand in it. We’ve had the water company and a plumber tell us so there is no sand in the water but she still refuses to drink it. Of course she can drink bottled water, that’s not a problem however for a whole week, she’s not been drinking water and has been quite dehydrated. She’s been seen by the doctor, my issue is how do I convince her that the water is safe to drink? I’ve showed her evidence- we’ve had professionals explain to her and nothing is changing. She refuses to wash, wash up or drink the water. It’s the first time she’s done this what do I do?
Obsessed with sand in drinking water- now refuses to drink
- Thread starter ilmm
- Start date
This must be so worrying for you @ilmm You are probably not going to persuade her that the tap water is safe because in her dementia world she KNOWS that it is not safe which makes things so difficult for you.
Is your mum refusing to drink any fluids at all. Would she drink soft drinks, flavoured water, tea etc. You could also try giving her sliced water melon which has a high water content or ice lollies.
Is your mum refusing to drink any fluids at all. Would she drink soft drinks, flavoured water, tea etc. You could also try giving her sliced water melon which has a high water content or ice lollies.
She is drinking bottled water thankfully, but I’m not coping well with this sudden change in her. I’ve requested a Care Act Assessment because I just fear this will all become too much for me. I’m just really worried about the future- she’s going downhill fast.
Good idea to get the assessment done, try to be there when it takes place so that your mum doesn’t tell lies (obviously she won’t think that they are lies!) but if you can talk to the assessor then you can give them a much more realistic picture. Good luck x
Hi @ilmm Hopefully this is just a phase. You don't have to buy bottled water all the time - just refill the empties with tap water. She could also use this for washing. I know my Mum has phases where she can fixate on something. After a while they pass. Try not to make too big a thing of it as that will only reinforce the delusion.
Is your Mum taking any dementia meds? Memantine has really helped with us. What's her diagnosis? There seems to be a lot of helpful advice in here https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/delusions
Just scanning it, I like where it focuses on acknowledging someone's distress. Perhaps she just needs to feel like she's been taken seriously and possibly the dial could shift a bit? I'm really sorry you're feeling that way is a good way for me to retain my compassion when in reality this is the last thing I want you, the PWD, to be focussing on.
Just scanning it, I like where it focuses on acknowledging someone's distress. Perhaps she just needs to feel like she's been taken seriously and possibly the dial could shift a bit? I'm really sorry you're feeling that way is a good way for me to retain my compassion when in reality this is the last thing I want you, the PWD, to be focussing on.
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