We all understand the importance of drinking water to remain hydrated throughout the day. However, as per the Alzheimer’s Site Blog, people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia tend to suffer from dehydration; the reasons are that they either forget to drink water, they don’t know where to find it, or they forget the importance of staying hydrated. There are others with a more severe problem, however, and that is that they forget how to drink and swallow.
When someone has difficulty swallowing, it’s known as dysphagia. A dementia patient can struggle to swallow thin liquids, but the solution is thickening agents that allow them to drink water and hydrated foods. Dehydration in patients with dementia is a serious issue. Dehydration usually goes unnoticed in patients, resulting in last minute trips to the hospital.
These reasons are why Lewis Hornby decided that he’d create something that would allow people with Alzheimer’s to stay hydrated. The passion for this venture was stricken when he noticed that his own grandmother wasn’t drinking enough water.
Lewis spent a week living in a care home for dementia patients, spoke with the doctors, and learned everything about dysphagia. He tried and tested his prototypes, and after some time of hard work, Lewis finally came up with his final solution: Jelly Drops.
These Jelly Drops are bite-sized balls that are easier to swallow than water. They’re just as hydrating as if someone were drinking water right out of the glass.
The drops are ninety percent water and the other ten percent are gelling agents and electrolytes, which allow for better hydration. The small jelly drops are easy to grab and pop into your mouth. The fact that they’re colorful make them look like delicious treats, thus they’re easier to “eat.”
Lewis also made sure to package them in a box that looks like a candy box, and it has a clear top so that the patients don’t forget they’re there. Lewis said that “When first offered, grandma ate 7 Jelly Drops in 10 minutes, the equivalent to a cup full of water, something that would usually take hours and require much more assistance.”
This genius idea won three different awards, and Lewis plans to continue to produce more Jelly Drops to help more patients.
Watch how easy it is for Grandma to swallow these Jelly Drops, and how simple the packaging is, in the video down below.
