Grandson invents hydration bite-sized balls to help his grandmother

Because Lewis’ grandmother suffers from dementia, she was hospitalized for severe dehydration. People with dementia may suffer from dehydration because they forget to drink or they might not feel thirsty or, in severe cases, they may forget how to drink. Usually, when dementia patients are subject to dehydration, caregivers need to step in, proving them with the necessary amount of liquids through food and beverages.

When Lewis discovered his grandmother was not drinking enough, he had the idea to create an easier way for her to get her fluids. After consultation with doctors, psychologists and experiencing the life in a dementia care home, he came up with the idea of the Jelly Drops. The Jelly Drops are coloured bite-sized balls of liquid which are easy to swallow. They are composed of 90% of water, and 10% of gelling agents and electrolytes, to foster hydration.

The drops are designed as candies, to be tempting for dementia patients. “When first offered, grandma ate 7 Jelly Drops in 10 minutes, the equivalent to a cup full of water, something that would usually take hours and require much more assistance.”

Even the packaging was produced to meet the needs of dementia patients, who struggle to plan and execute actions in sequence. The transparent lid allows to easily find the drops and a locking hinge allows to have free a hand to grab the drops.

At the moment, some care homes in the UK are trying the Jelly Drops, but Lewis aims at doing more research and start production. He won several awards including the Dyson School of Design Engineering DESIRE Award for Social Impact.

Adapted from: https://blog.thealzheimerssite.greatergood.com/jelly-drops/

More information: https://www.jellydrops.co.uk/

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