ANEURIN Bevan University Health Board is backing a major new campaign to encourage people to keep well by staying hydrated.

The health board is supporting the Water Keeps You Well campaign, launched on Friday (19th February) by the Welsh NHS, which will address the issue of dehydration, particularly among older patients in hospitals.

The campaign will inform people about the power of good hydration in managing and preventing many health conditions, which can cause harm and distress.

If undetected, the effects of dehydration can be serious and rapid. Mild dehydration can contribute to confusion, falls, pressure ulcers and urine infections. Serious dehydration can cause a person’s condition to deteriorate rapidly.

As part of the campaign patients, especially older people, at a number of hospitals across Wales will be asked to sign a Water Keeps You Well hydration charter and pledge to drink a pre-agreed number of drinks each day. People who make the pledge will be given an innovative ‘drink dial’ to help them keep track of the drinks they’ve had throughout the day.

The campaign will help people to recognise when they are thirsty; it will breakdown the fear some people have of becoming a burden on hospital staff by needing help to go to the toilet and will address the fact that some people are not used to drinking lots during the day.

It will also encourage families and visitors to bring bottles of water or juice to hospital instead of flowers or other gifts to reinforce the stay hydrated message.

Professor Jean White, Chief Nursing Officer for Wales said: “For people in our hospitals, especially older people, dehydration can have devastating long-term effects, but it can be prevented. Evidence shows good hydration can help in the management and prevention of many conditions and this campaign aims to ensure people know that drinking keeps you well.”

Denise Llewellyn, Director of Nursing, at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “I am delighted that again this year we are promoting the importance of maintaining hydration for all our patients/clients. I would also like to see the key principles that we use during the campaign be used every day of the year by our staff to really embed this vital practice throughout Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

The Water Keeps You Well campaign will include Wales’ first Quench Your Thirst Day, which will be supported by Brecon Carreg, on 10th March.