Free water used to drive home hydration message
A CARE company has been handing out free bottles of water at Derriford Hospital in a bid to show how important it is to stay well hydrated.
Staff from the Plymouth office of home-care provider Bluebird Care were also giving advice, alongside the mineral water, to staff and patients during Dehydration in Older People Awareness Week.
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Emma Cahill hands out bottles of water with information
The initiative aimed to raise awareness that older people are more susceptible to dehydration than younger people, which commonly leads to secondary illnesses and infections.
Alexander Allan, director of Bluebird Care, said: "We are passionate about the finest details that can make people's lives more comfortable. It is part of our good old-fashioned service."
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Bluebird Care's medical advisers stress that as people age they are increasingly prone to dehydration because of factors such as lower body water percentage, loss of thirst and changes to kidney function. Such things as limited mobility, dementia, certain medications and self-limiting fluid intake due to incontinence can compound the problem.
The Duke of Edinburgh's recent bladder infection has been blamed on the 90-year-old not drinking water during the Diamond Jubilee river pageant.
Mr Allan said: "Dehydration is a large problem with a simple solution: stay hydrated and stay healthy".
Plympton-based Bluebird Care provides tailor-made home visits to customers and their families throughout Plymouth, Ivybridge, Modbury, Newton Ferrers, Noss Mayo, Yealmpton and Wembury.
Comments
by whinger7643
Monday, June 18 2012, 4:38PM
“Never mind the commercial side of this, the reality is that older folks especially, fail to drink adequate amounts of fluid, and this is the cause of many ailments which can be easily avoided by a sensible intake, SWW and government take note your prices give no consideration to the older folk on low incomes who may be deterred from using drinking water more freely, in the longer term treatment of these ailments costs the taxpayer more possibly just because we are made to ensure that feeding the public utility fatcats is more important than lowering prices.”
by maxine711
Monday, June 18 2012, 2:20PM
“@LordorNothing - the staff are adults, everybody knows the laws for breaks etc - for every 4.25hrs worked there should be a 1/4 hr break, if staff carry on working through breaks because their bosses expect them to then they should merely quote that the company will be breaking the law, don't stand for it!”
by Bruzercat
Monday, June 18 2012, 2:11PM
“I wonder if they have a sponsorship deal with the bottled water company?”
by AAllanBBCare
Monday, June 18 2012, 11:18AM
“Bluebird Care as a commercial organisation were pleased to publicise themselves alongside the problem of dehydration in older people as we hope it will make more people aware of this easy to solve problem which causes misery to tens of thousands each year and costs millions of pounds to the NHS. We are not shy about publicsing what we do whilst doing good in the community.
Bluebird Care pay the best wages for care staff in Plymouth as our care workers are the most important asset of the company. We are here to provide a quality service and it is not in our interests to allow any careworkers to work a excessivly long shifts (in the unlikely event there was such a shift available as peak hours of mornings and evenings generally seprate the day).
If you would like a discussion first hand please do call me on 347 700 and ask for Alexander”
by 10thattempt
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:59AM
“Just cheap publicity for the care provider.”
by LordorNothing
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:45AM
“thats a joke!...perhaps they should make sure their nursing staff have adequate breaks, and not only have 20mins in a 13 hour shift!!”
by sadperson
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:11AM
“It's a mug entrapment exercise.”
by Bruzercat
Monday, June 18 2012, 9:02AM
“But bottled water? Why? Tap water is much cheaper and fresher...”