Hydration best practice hospital water audit
Tick off and count up the statements you can answer with a 'Yes'. Scores are analysed below.
• You are clear about the benefits of improving water provision on your ward.
• You have a clear strategy to promote water provision and consumption.
• You have consulted and involved the rest of your team.
• You are clear about what you want your hydration strategy to achieve.
• You have a simple and clear code of conduct for providing water.
• You have decided how and where water will be provided.
• You have managed to make water available to all patients and staff throughout the day.
• You are now actively encouraging consumption of water for patients.
• The patients are regularly informed about the health benefits of drinking more water.
• The patients have been consulted for their ideas on how water might be promoted and consumption increased.
• You have a procedure for recording whether patients drink enough.
• Your strategy allows for increased promotion of water:
– In hot weather.
– When patients are away from the ward area.
• You have established a system to ensure that all the water facilities are cleaned (including cups, glasses and jugs).
• Patients can ask for and access toilet facilities when they need them.
• Toilets and toilet facilities are well maintained and clean.
• You have planned how you will now monitor and evaluate the impact of improved water provision for patients on your ward.
How did you do?
Count up the number you have ticked and assess your current hydration practice.
Score
0-5 You are underway but more work needs to be done. To make sure that you and your patients get the health benefits of good hydration, you and/or your team should retrace their steps and look again at the areas you could not tick off. What needs to be changed to improve your score?
6-10 Well done on getting this far. With this score you will soon be on the way to establishing a successful strategy for promoting good hydration and drinking water. You can use the toolkit fact sheets and check lists to work out where you can implement change and you will soon be able to help improve your patientsí hydration and well being.
11-14 You have come this far and are approaching the score for hydration best practice. With so much achieved, it is now simply a case of refining your efforts and looking at the individual areas for change.
15-17 Congratulations, you have done very well and will now be making a real difference to the health and wellbeing of your patients. If you did not score the full marks, talk to your team about the areas you missed and how you can take the last few steps to good hydration for all.
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Hydration best practice hospital water audit
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