It is important for your health and wellbeing to keep hydrated and this can be difficult if you are unable to reach or hold your drink independently. If you have any problems with chewing or swallowing, we recommend that you seek advice from your GP or a Speech and Language Therapist.
If weakness, reduced range of movement, or tremor has made eating and drinking difficult, come to our Therapists for advice. If you sit in an armchair, a dining chair, or a wheelchair we will look at ways to create a stable and functional seated position so that you can reach for your drink or have adequate support to enable independence.
Reminders may be useful if you forget to drink throughout the day. These could be set up on your mobile phone or we can show you apps for memory support that help you to plan and remember your daily routine. We also have information about a wide range of electronic reminders that can give you audible or visual reminders during the day or night to help you keep hydrated. You can see the Droplet in action at the Centre which is a cup or mug with a built-in reminder that will alert you when it is time to have another drink. See our ‘Technology for Eating & Drinking‘ equipment advice for information about assistive technology.
Insulated cups with drinking lids are available on the high street which are useful for reducing risks of spills when transferring between rooms or when drinking due to the small sipping holes. The insulated sides keep the drink warm and the outside stays cool to touch to protect your hands as you hold the cup. We also have some insulated cups with big handles or 2 handles which make holding the cup easier and safer to use – this may be particularly useful if you have a tremor. The duo handle is a good solution to add to mugs when out and about!
Flexi cups with a cut-out help you to drink if you can’t tilt your head back. The flexi cups are also helpfully squashy so the lip of the cup can be squeezed to a narrower shape to avoid spills from the side when drinking.
Ornamin do a great range of innovative cups and we have selected the ones we think are the most useful. This cup with a cone shaped internal wall helps you to drink without tipping your head back, it has a large handle for easy grip too. We also have cups for when you are lying down, devices to reduce risk of spilling, one-way straws for easy sipping and cup holders. Come and find out what works best for you.
Non-slip mats and bases are helpful if you are concerned about knocking drinks over, we have mats in all shapes and sizes for you to try. We also have drinks systems which stay securely in place so that your drink is always within reach whether you are in a chair, wheelchair or bed such as Giraffe drinking bottle or the Hydrant.