HILS Supports Nutrition and Hydration Week: Promoting Health and Wellbeing
At Health & Independent Living Support (HILS), we know that good nutrition and hydration are essential for maintaining health, wellbeing, and independence, especially for older adults and vulnerable people. Nutrition and Hydration Week is a national awareness campaign that highlights the importance of staying well-nourished and hydrated to prevent malnutrition, dehydration-related illnesses, and hospital admissions.
To support the campaign, HILS launched a series of activities to raise awareness and encourage healthy eating and drinking habits among our staff, clients, and the wider HILS communities.
Our Activities for Nutrition and Hydration Week
💧 Staff Hydration Challenge – HILS team members took on the challenge of drinking the recommended daily amount of water for 7 days, sharing video diaries about their experiences. This encouraged staff to stay hydrated while helping us highlight the benefits of drinking enough fluids. Check out our Facebook pages to see how Sarah, Phil, and Emily got on.
📢 Social Media Awareness Campaign – Throughout the week, we shared nutrition and hydration facts, tips, and interactive content across our social media channels, encouraging engagement and discussion on healthy eating, hydration, and wellbeing.
🍬 Jelly Drops for Clients – As part of our meals on wheels service and our Community Hubs, we distributed Jelly Drops, an innovative hydration sweet originally designed to help people with dementia and cognitive impairments maintain good fluid intake. These sugar-free, water-based sweets provide a fun and accessible way to support hydration and reduce dehydration risks.
📄 Community Resources for our communities – We distributed nutrition and hydration leaflets and posters to GP surgeries, local councils, libraries, and community groups to help spread the message about the importance of staying nourished and hydrated. If you would like copies of these leaflets head to our resources page.
❓ Engaging Quizzes for Staff and the Public – We encouraged participation with fun nutrition and hydration quizzes, both online and within our organisation, to test knowledge and reinforce key messages on healthy eating and drinking habits.
Why Nutrition and Hydration Matter
Staying hydrated and eating well can help boost energy levels, improve concentration, and support overall health, especially for older adults, people with long-term health conditions, and those recovering from illness. At HILS, we are committed to helping people stay independent, healthy, and well-nourished—not just during Nutrition and Hydration Week but all year round.
