How do I get more fluid in my husband?

My husband can no longer drink thick fluids much less thin fluids like water. For the past 6 months I have been making gelatin with Knox unflavored Gelatine, using 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup high quality juice, honey to sweeten and 1 packet of Gelatine. I try to get at least 5 cups of fluids in him per day.

Sometimes i cut up fresh fruit and put it in a pitcher of water and let it sit in the refrigerator. She seems to enjoy drinking that. Like a fancy spa drink,cause we're fancy folks ;-) Helps me get a bit more water in me too. Good luck!

Check with his clinic to see how much liquid would be "too much" and how much would be "too little."

Most fruits contain a lot of liquid. As freqflyer points out, watermelon has a lot. Other melons are good, too, plus oranges, berries, apples, pineapple ... just about any fruit.

Usually heart failure patients actually need to limit fluid intake to no more than one liter a day (about one quart). Learn how to check for dehydration by pinching up the skin on the back of the hand; it should go back down quickly. If it goes down slowly, have him drink something he likes. If it does not go down at all, get him to the ER.

Hadnuff, does hubby like watermelon? Lot of liquid in that. Give hubby water but at room temperature as ice cold water can cause stomach upsets.

I noticed that the coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are all caffeinated... maybe it causes his heart to race a bit, and that can be scary for him right now.

Soups are filled with sodium, and salt-free soups taste blah.

I use flavored "Nuun" sugar-free electrolyte tabs for my dad (1x/day; 1 tab in 16oz)There's a variety of flavors....
I also use a fat straw that seems to have him drinking more.

Has the doctor ever considered an IV to keep him hydrated? Sometimes when someone's dehydrated and they just can't drink a whole lot, an IV will help

Someone mentioned 1 L as being the fluid intake limit. That's awfully low, in fact, dangerously low when the body really needs 64 ounces of fluid each day to survive and function properly. Taking too little fluid will start quickly causing a host of problems including constipation. Kidney problems among other infections can also pose a serious health hazard and even become life-threatening.

His body sensors arent working as well as they once did so he can't detect when he needs hydration. I suggest a speech evaluation and see if he may need a Thick It added to his fluids so that he will drink more. Often people will hold back the cause they fear they may choke on it so they unintentionally don't bother.
If that's been addressed already then I suggest ice cream , watermelon honeydew melons oranges and juices Gatorade to name a few that have worked for me at my care facility.
You will also need to remind him by picking the glass up handing it to him and suggest a drink. He need to consume 1/2 his body weight in ounces a day but that's only if he is active otherwise 1/4 of his weight will suffice.
Best regards,

My husband initially refused to drink water, tea, but still liked coffee. So I would bring him coffee sometimes. One day I arrived during mealtime/speech therapy session with a bowl of my homemade soup. (I always cook lower sodium) and it tastes very good. Though he was still having problems with some food, I cut the ingredients into smaller pieces so it would be easier to chew. Sometimes I bring a coffee from a local shop, hot tea from home, and just get him ice water. My husband seems to drink more if I alternate options. Maybe it gives him something to look forward to rather than the same old drink everyday. His problems now tend to occur when he tries to eat or drink too fast, so I give small amounts -half cup of coffee, small glass of ice water so that he only gets a couple swallows at a time.