Some would say that dehydration is something that’s totally preventable. You just grab a glass of water and drink it in the prescribed number of times and you are good to go. However, for people suffering from dementia, the simple task of remembering to drink water is something that can prove to be problematic. Because of this condition, a lot of patients with the said condition end up getting dehydrated which puts them in a very dangerous situation.
UK-based Lewis Hornby’s demented grandmother, Pat, was once rushed to the hospital due to dehydration. She had to get IV fluids for 24 hours just to re-hydrate her body. As an Innovation Design Engineering graduate, Lewis knew that he can always find a way to make his grandma drink the right amount of fluids so she won’t have to be hospitalized due to dehydration ever again. He just needed to be innovative.
Through his love for his grandmother, Lewis was able to come up with a simple yet very effective way for demented patients to be able to drink the amount of water that their bodies need.
In order for him to create the perfect product for his cause, Lewis figured that he had to really understand how people with dementia behave. The only way to do this is to stay with them and live among them for some time. And so, the man decided to spend a week in a care facility with dementia patients. He consulted the psychologists there and finally, he was able to create a product that could possibly be a major breakthrough in caring for patients with dementia.
While observing the patients, one thing that he definitely noticed was that they are fond of sweets including his own grandmother, Pat. At that moment, Lewis found the inspiration he needed and thought of disguising hydration as a colorful sweet treat.
Calling his product “Jelly Drops”, Lewis created little balls containing 90% water, coloring, electrolytes and gelling agents. They look like fun treats but are actually filled with mostly water. They are bite-sized and can be easily popped in the mouth. After completing his product, he tried if his grandmother will take a liking to it as he hoped she would.
And, just as he wished, his grandmother liked the product a lot.
“When first offered, grandma ate seven Jelly drops in 10 minutes,” he said, “the equivalent to a cup full of water, something that would usually take hours and require much more assistance.”
The results of his trial was very positive and later on, word about his new creation spread and reached even the prominent organizations who are fighting against dementia.
Lewis created a design that made his product even more appealing so that patients will surely be unable to resist popping the hydrating treats in their mouths. His creation is undeniably a game-changer and with this product, the problem of keeping dementia patients hydrated is no longer a big issue.
His amazing work generated a lot of positive buzz, and he was awarded by various organizations for his incredibly innovative and inspiring creation. Some of the awards that he brought home were the Helen Hamlyn Snowdon Award for Disability, the DESIRE award for social impact from the Dyson School of Design Engineering, the Meaning-Centered Design Award, and both the Audience and People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Pitch@Palace.
It all started with love and concern for his grandmother and ended with an award-winning creation that would possibly help a lot of patients. Its foundation stems from a simple act of love and now, even the Alzheimer’s Society are partnering with Lewis in his amazing work. This only shows that anything done with love and genuine concern in mind can definitely go a long, long way.
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