Hydration Innovation Progressive Web Based Application Development, Support and Maintenance

THIS AN AWARD NOTICE - The number of older people in North Somerset is increasing, putting pressure on our health and social care system. As of March 2018, official statistics showed that the Bristol North Somerset South Gloucester (BNSSG) commissioning area has 75,920 people over the age of 75. North Somerset had 23,269 people over 75, this is predicted to increase to 37,000 in 2030. There is expected to be an increase of 88% by 2030 in the number of people living in care homes aged 75 and over. The number of people receiving residential care aged 85 and older has doubled compared with ages 75-84, yet there are half as many residents in North Somerset aged 85 and older.

Dehydration in care homes is a nationally recognised concern, it is essential that people living in care homes are supported to remain healthy, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and functional decline. Diagnosing dehydration in older people is challenging and requires consideration of several factors. Effective hydration management which promotes good hydration and nutrition in older adults leads to increased wellbeing and improved quality of life, dehydration should be preventable (Courtney et al, 2009). Current hydration monitoring is reactive, identifying when individuals are dehydrated then intervening with an appropriate medical response driven by the impact of dehydration on the individual.

A highly collaborative and agile discovery phase led the project team to propose the development of a progressive web-based app to support carers to prevent dehydration in care home residents. The app will use information from simple digitised assessments to develop an individual's hydration story which would appear as their profile within the app. The story will hold a complete picture of the support needed for individuals to remain hydrated. The assessments would be completed when an individual is admitted to the care home, reviews would be prompted by the app at appropriate regular intervals. The aim is to place individuals at the heart of hydration management to improve outcomes.