Won't drink enough!

Plum Tired

How do you get your LO to drink fluids?  I am tired of harping on mom to drink. She will ignore the water,juice, or tea in front of her face and keeps getting UTIs.

BassetHoundAnn

I pour grape, berry or apple juice into a wine glass and my mom, thinking it's wine, freely imbibes. I'm honest with her. I tell her "Ma, this isn't wine it's Welch's," but she either doesn't understand or remember. 

I also sit down with her every day with a glass of soda, juice, or water, and tell her "Let's just chat and enjoy our drinks together" and that seems to get her drinking. And eating. I always give her a bowl of chips and snacks. My DH also does this with her nearly every day. It seems like she likes to mimic what we do while socializing. 

Also ice-cream is considered a fluid by dementia caregivers, and others here have noted their LO's love of ice-cream when no other foods appeal. So I try to give her a big ice-cream sundae every day. With lots of fruit. She likes berries--more fluids, and I buy enough each week to keep the Driscoll strawberry growers in business. 

Last summer she passed out from dehydration and ended up in the hospital, so I'm trying to avoid a repeat of that calamity. 

It's hard. She just doesn't want to drink fluids. I think her thirst mechanism is shutting down. 

Love your forum name, by the way! That's exactly how I feel! 

Seasons In The Sun

Soup & jello

zauberflote

Popsicles and sherbet. Somebody shared a link to a UK (I think) product that looked a little like a colorful one-bite water balloon and came in a flavor-assortment pack. Wish I could remember its name. Made especially for dementia people.

Cynbar

My DH is also a challenge to get enough liquids into him. I found it does absolutely no good to put a large glass in front of him. Among other things, he won't drink it once it gets to room temperature. And I, too, was so sick of nagging. But I have had good luck with handing him small glasses of very cold drinks throughout the day ---- he will usually drink that, I guess it's not as intimidating as a bigger glass. And I do give him popsicles, soups, sherbets and anything else that has liquid in it. It's probably not the full amount he should be drinking, but he's not dehydrated, either.

hospicelover

My mom was like that too and is currently in a nursing home. They give her what they call "shakes" which are like a Boost and she loves them. They come in different flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry and she'll drink them down before she'll drink water. I would maybe try Boost or something like it and see if it's something she'll like.

RanchersWife

When I first started caregiving I focused on routine water consumption. It’s such a habit now that my LO drinks the water that I give her with very little trouble. I owe it to having/requiring her drink for the last three years. I would not want to start this struggle with her now. 

So, early caregivers, start the water drinking routine now! 

Iris L.

Plum Tired wrote:

 She will ignore the water,juice, or tea in front of her face 

PWDs gradually lose the concept of initiative.  

Also they develop visual agnosia, meaning their brain does not recognize items in front of their face.  

Iris L.

Sjodry

I buy Mio juice and other water flavorings. I was actually trying to get her off of Pepsi. She started calling them her “Pink Drink” (before Starbucks started offering a “Pink Drink”). She loves drinking them now..she stays hydrated.

Emily 123

For my mom it’s lemon lime Gatorade and a straw. Has to be something with flavor and the 20 oz Gatorade is bigger than a juice. For some reason the straw makes a big difference. Go figure! It’s mainly because she has incontinence and voids when she gets out of her chair. She loses track of time, so won’t do scheduled bathroom breaks. She just refuses to drink.