Music fills East and West wing hallways of Health Center at Live Oak each weekday afternoon and you’d think the Popsicle man was winding his way through the neighborhood, enticing children to run to get change for a refreshing treat.
You wouldn’t be too far off the mark!
Certified Nursing Assistant Michaelynn Brooks and her hydration cart are the latest and most creative effort to improve hydration in Health Center residents, says Kim McGaha, director of nursing.
Staying hydrated is important to keep the body functioning properly, she says. Senior adults are among the most at risk groups for dehydration, and they face serious complications if there is not adequate fluid balance.
The hydration cart features a large colorful umbrella – you can’t miss it! – and includes pitchers of lemonade, fruit-infused water and Popsicles for hydration, as well as assorted snacks. A CD player plays standards from years past – “The music they like and are familiar with,” McGaha says.
Brooks, sporting a multicolored checked apron, pushes the cart down the hallways of East and West wings each weekday after lunch, much to the delight of residents.
“Their eyes light up,” McGaha says. “It is something they look forward to and a way for us to get liquids into them.”
As people age, the body’s ability to conserve water is reduced and their sense of thirst lessens.
The Health Center hydration cart … and Michaelynn Brooks … are a sweet reminder!