The Hydration Cart: One Way to Help Ensure Adequate Fluid Intake

摘要

Willyne Blanchard is probably the biggest fan of the hydration cart. She has had 28 years of experience as a resident-living assistant at Amelia Island Health Care Center in Florida where she cares for mentally and physically impaired adults even' day. She knows well that residents in this setting are unable to obtain fluids on their own and rely totally on the nursing staff for adequate hydration. "They say my middle name is 'water,'" exclaims Blanchard, "and I try my best to keep residents well hydrated because it's so important to their overall health. Normally, residents do not get all the fluids they need with their meals, so there is a need to pass fluids between meals and provide the assistance they require while this is done." Sometimes, special devices such as sippy cups, nosey cups, or long straws need to be provided with fluids before her clients can drink on their own. Thickeners must be added for some residents. And some of them even require total assistance in order to have their fluid requirements met.