It is always best practice to read a person’s care plan
first.

The care plan will tell you:

·      
If the person needs assistance to drink

·      
If the consistency of the fluid needs to be
adjusted

·      
If the person needs prompting or encouragement
to drink

·      
If the person has difficulty drinking or
swallowing

If the person needs a straw or adapted cup to driA person
might get quite frustrated that every time they have a cup of tea, they have to
explain to the worker that ‘they like it strong, with milk and two sugars’.

You need to record in the care plan what an individual has
had to drink, how much and the times. This is essential if their fluid intake
is being monitored but also it stops workers assuming that the person is not
thirsty or has already had a drink. This helps to prevent dehydration and
maintain physical wellbeing.

If the weather is hot or a person has been exercising, their
fluid intake should be increased.

You need more water when your body temperature rises. 

Drinking water helps replenish the fluids lost by excessive
sweating. Jumping in cold water is not good enough!