11.15.2024 Juanita
In older adults, dehydration can have detrimental effects on health and well-being. In this blog, Person Centred Software explains how its fluid-monitoring intelligent drinking glasses, Smart Cups, can help prevent this problem.
Fluid intake is vital to health and well-being, and it's important to prevent dehydration in care, as good hydration improves the health and well-being of those receiving care.
It's common knowledge that people become more at risk of dehydration as they age. For example, older adults can sometimes be physically frail, with reduced mobility and activity, making it more challenging to get a drink and use the toilet. As a result, they might avoid drinking enough liquids to keep their fluid levels topped up, preventing the need to go to the bathroom later. In addition, those with poor memory, cognitive impairments (such as onset dementia), or mental health conditions may need to be reminded to drink enough fluids.
We know the feeling of thirst, but as you age, that sense of feeling thirsty diminishes, and we become less thirsty; as a result, we drink less, which can lead to dehydration.
Why is fluid monitoring so important?
- By monitoring fluid intake, you can:
- Help maintain muscle mass and body fluid content, which decrease with age.
- Quench residents' thirst - older adults often have a diminished thirst and desire to drink.
- Help with medication intake, which may affect fluid balance.
- Help remind and encourage residents to keep hydrated.
- Help with communication and coordination among professional groups and older adults.
The smart way to track intake and prevent dehydration
So, what are Smart Cups?
Person Centred Software’s innovative hydration solution, Smart Cups, are intelligent drinking glasses that continuously monitor fluid and summarise and provide relevant insights and notifications to carers, healthcare professionals and relatives, helping to prevent dehydration.
By recording fluid intake more accurately and at the point of care, customers using Person Centred software’s Digital Care System have seen improvements in the level of care provided.
How do Smart Cups work?
Weighing cells and accelerometers allow accurate measurement of fluid intake, coupled with intelligent algorithms to eliminate liquids poured into the sink.
How do Smart Cups work with the Digital Care System?
Smart Cups provide the ability to monitor fluid intake sip by sip, helping to tackle dehydration in care homes and making it easier for the residents to self-hydrate.
All carers need to do is:
- Pour the fluid into the Smart Cup
- Let the resident drink the fluid from the Smart Cup
- View the care note automatically created within the Digital Care System, which contains the volume of fluid consumed and updates the fluid watch and charts.
- Evidencing fluids: Monitor fluid intake accurately, eliminating fluids poured down a sink without staff witnessing it.
- Tracking fluids for independent residents: Keep track of when and how much residents are drinking independently.
- Increase the level of care & support: You can understand individual drinking habits by going through the data.
- Visibility on fluids provided by visitors: Smart Cups allow you to see what fluids visitors have given to residents and what has been consumed.
- Notifications: The Smart Cup sends notifications that help to encourage and motivate the resident to drink.
- IoT Solution: You don’t need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for the Smart Cups to work; turn the device on, and it connects straightway.
- Meets regulatory requirements and legal obligations.
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