I offer him his "used to be" favorites but he refuses. He says it tastes nasty. There was a day that I offered 4 different drinks and every single one was nasty to him. Refuses water. If I offer say Sunny Delight or another orange brand it is too strong so I water it down with water....he complains. I am now only getting extra fluids by giving him jello, yogurt, popsicles, ice cream but it doesn't always work out. Any suggestions on liquids would be appreciated.
In any event, I think you’ve gotten wonderful advice, hope some of these ideas work with your hubby...cheers to that!!!
Quite frankly, I took this from the Pavlov's dog idea & it worked - it is a training method for him but once he gets used to it he will be primed to drink to the sound of ice - I think that it brings back pleasurable time from the past ... summer parties, drinks with friends & you, etc.- I hope this helps
If all he wants is jello, yogurt, Popsicle's then give him that. You could try Kefir it is a yogurt like drink. Great supposedly for all the probiotics.
You could also try some of the protein or energy drinks.
Have you tried smoothies?
If all this is a no for him then start making your meals with more fluid.
Soups
Stew
more fruit salads or fruit in general, melons have a lot of moisture
Keep in mind that a lot of these will have extra calories. If he is loosing weight this could be a good thing but as he declines you will have to do a lot more so consider his weight and will you have to be helping him transfer? So if weight is an issue cut calories in other places, less sweeter snacks, cut back on starches like bread, potatoes and rice.
Another thing you might want to keep your eye on is...his urine. If it is dark, other than first thing in the morning then he needs more fluids, if it is light in color then he is getting enough fluids. (notice I did not say water. Count all fluids)
My MIL in the nursing home had a measured jug of water to get through each day. DH says it was a case of 'hold your nose and swallow it'. But she didn't have dementia, just old age.
I was dealing with Dysphagia, a swallowing problem, and many with dysphagia seem to prefer sodas & lemonade - seems to soothe the throat and swallows easier.
If you are also dealing with Dysphagia, I found that Hormel's Thick & Easy will thicken it and hold the thickening. I was able to use the thickest, the Honey consistency, and it thickened twice the amount - 1/2 of a 16 ounce bottle of Coke. It was cheaper to purchase the honey over the nectar and I bought it at Amazon from Oz Medical Supply.
He also preferred to drink out of the bottle instead of a glass. I'm sure there is a logical reason for that, I was just trying to keep him hydrated.
It really is all about not rocking the boat. If you won't give them what they want, they won't eat or drink what you bring. I learned that one the hard way and was lucky to pull him out of it. He lived another 18 months and he was almost 97 when he passed on.
Have you tried creamed soups - like tomato (beware the salt content)?
If you have a blender maybe try adding some milk to the ice cream for a milk shake and see if he drinks that? My mom likes blending partially thawed frozen strawberries (less expensive, keep better) into ice cream and milk.
An infection in the sinuses or mouth can also cause a bad taste that is particularly noticeable with drinks. I've heard that sometimes losing a filling can cause a bad taste too.