The project showed that Aarhus Municipality in Denmark experienced significant relief in fluid intake recording thanks to the implementation of AQUATIME's digital monitoring. The digital drinking glass helped employees save 30% of the time previously spent manually recording fluid intake on paper-based charts.
This time saved on documentation and administration tasks can now be allocated to other tasks that can help provide the best possible care.
Studies show that as many as 20 % of elderly citizens that receive home care are dehydrated*(2). Dehydration in the elderly can lead to a number of serious health issues like delirium, kidney failure, increased risk of infections*(3). That is why preventing dehydration is crucial, it not only supports the elderly's health but can potentially also reduce hospitalizations.
The project with Aarhus Municipality revealed that using AQUATIME to monitor and manage fluid intake made a real difference for the elderly citizens. 63 % of participants showed improvement in their daily functioning, and 56 % experienced an increase in their overall well-being.
An 84-year-old man has had a declining level of function for a long time. During the first week using AQUATIME with the nudging function, he clears up.
According to his daughter, he can now again: draw, tie his shoelaces, and participate actively in conversations. He also takes an interest in his family and asks about a grandson in Copenhagen, which the daughter thought he had forgotten he had. On top of that, his walking function became significantly more stable.
When the citizen stopped the project, he became apathetic and absent again. Therefore, it was agreed with the daughter that he became a long-term case, and he continues to enjoy the glass.
*(1) Evaluering af projekt: Forebyggelse og behandling af dehydrering. Maj 2023 - marts 2024. Projektleder Mette Kurup Callsen & projektmedarbejder Ditte Hald.
*(2)Hooper L et al. Which Frail Older People Are Dehydrated? The UK DRIE Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Oct;71(10):1341-7.
*(3)Edmonds CJ, Foglia E, Booth P, Fu CHY, Gardner M. Dehydration in older people: A systematic review of the effects of dehydration on health outcomes, healthcare costs and cognitive performance. Archives of gerontology and geriatrics. 2021;95: 104380.