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My mom has poor kidney function. Her doctor requested that she drink more water throughout the day understanding that it is frustrating due to her incontinence. She has to try. The hard part is.... my mom has always not been a fan of water. Says it has no taste. She is currently in memory care and the caregivers there try as much as they can when they give her meds but that's all she will take, small sips.
My question is, does anyone have any suggestions of anything g to add to water to make it taste better? It has to be water, no juice, or vodka as my mom asked. I know there is crystal light but thought I'd ask for ideas before I go and buy a bunch of different brands to try. Any ideas on this subject would help, thank you.

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Scrimble, there are brands of water that have different flavorings that one can try. See if the store sells the tiny bottles.

Also there are now many ice teas in bottles to try that have different flavorings, my favorite is the peach, I like Gold Peak. Also like Pure Leaf brand. I wouldn't recommend the Lipton ice tea bottles, didn't like the taste at all :(

There are also ice tea bags, Twining brand of tea, that come in citrus flavorings that you dunk into a glass of water, thus you control the taste.

One thing to watch if the elder has issue with sugar intake is the amount of sugar that is in these drinks.
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I use MIO Cherry Blackberry drops in my water
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There are probably hundreds of flavoured waters and low calorie beverages in your local supermarket, you will be most successful if you can offer what she DOES like to drink. If she likes coffee or tea you can buy decaffeinated varieties, if she wants beer then try some of the non alcohol ones. You probably don't have to completely ban the occasional juice or soda, unless there a problem with diabetes?
I think the key to upping her fluid intake is to always have something- even just ice water - easily within her grasp and to think outside the box. Be conscious also of the fluids available in foods: all fruits and veggies are mostly water, soups are also a good source as are smoothies (made with skim milk or milk alternates they can be low calorie), treats like low calorie jello or popsicles are also good .
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Ask for a referral to a Renal Dietitian...Your mom's kidneys may not be filtering certain byproducts in urine well but still be urinating. The Dietitian would have access to her medical records (thus her lab values) and therefore be aware of any dietary restrictions.
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If mom liked sodas, there are many flavored carbonated waters out there now.. wal mart has a good one for 50cents a bottle! The flavors are strong, not wimpy!
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Mom's facility has a carafe of water with sliced cucumbers and lemons in it - I don't care for it - cucumbers are overwhelming

Mom has never been a fan of water or iced tea and lately I noticed she chomps on ice which I yell at her to stop doing so she doesn't break a tooth

Unless dr says no maybe some orange or lemon or lime slices may help - they even have those special water bottles with the holder for fruit to infuse the water with flavor
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I buy my mother the little bottles of water and keep them in the refrigerator. The cold water is more like a treat than a bother to her. There are other things you can ask her doctor about, e.g. Sprite Zero or other sugar and caffeine free sodas. I'm not sure if the carbonation or artificial sweeteners would be good for her. It depends on her stage of kidney disease.
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My father hates to drink water as well, and only has one kidney. So i buy the little individual packets of flavoring and add them to a water bottle. They come in sugar free as well. Koolaid makes them Crush makes them in different flavors. Personally I think they are too sweet so i just add half a packet.. I know its not the perfect solution ,but he will drink water this way. If i dont flavor the waterhe wont drink anything. With the summer heat i worry about dehydration .So this works for now.
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Crystal Light makes individual powder packets (they have liquid flavoring, too) and some of the varieties have vitamins in them. I agree with Kellylynn, you don't need to use the entire packet, just a little bit to flavor a glass of water.
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Check out the section at the grocery store where they have the powered crystal light. You'll see dozens of these little tiny bottles that have concentrated flavors in them. You just add a few drops to water and it adds amazing flavor. There are literally dozens of flavors to choose from.

My dad was big on crystal light - the tiny straws with powder. Plus it had to be really cold and ice always helped.
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I think frugaldietitian is right. This should be discussed with a professional dietitian. Are all artificial sweeteners OK? Is sugar? Why not fruit juice? Obviously drinking enough vodka to stay hydrated would not be a healthy idea! But what about a bottle of beer now and then?

My mother's generation seemed to love Kool-Aid (or Nectar as she called it.) Would that be suitable? If so, sugar or artificial sweetener?

Is carbonation OK?

I like ice water and I don't have problems with hydration. Alcohol interferes with more than one of my medications, so I can't have a nice glass of wine with dinner, or a lovely cordial before bed. I think I deserve a special drink now and then so lately I have been taste-testing one after another of the dozens of "flavored waters" on the market. I'm keeping a list of how I rate each one. I like carbonated beverages (though I hate soda pop). The only think I look for on the label is carbohydrates (I'm diabetic) and artificial sweeteners (because my digestive track tends not to like them.)

Once you are certain what will and won't work with your mother's kidney issues, just go through a supermarket reading labels.
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Plain water is best, so you want to stay as close to it as possible when it comes to hydration. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, so things like beer, coffee, tea, and caffeinated sodas can make a person pee more than they drink. Not good for hydration. If it has a lot of sugar or salt in the drink, it can change the osmotic pressure of the liquid. This is okay, but not as good as water. Sugar and salt have other problems that go along with them -- teeth, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. If the doctor says an artificial sweetener is okay, it would probably be best. When it comes to renal failure it is always good to run thing past a doctor.
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Wow! Thank you for these great ideas and answers. I will take the advice and ask her doctor to expand on the water additives (sugar / low calorie sweetener) concerns. I didn't think of that. I went to the store after the initial report from the doctor and there were way too many brands to choose from. My own family just drinks water primarily, so the vast selection was overwhelming. A request for a dietician and what she can have in her water just went into her doctor.
In the meantime, I'll try her with ice water with lemon or some Mio drops.
Thank you again to all of you.
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You could infuse water with fruit like strawberries - there are a number of "recipes" online for fruit and herb infused.
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Some good answers here, Jessebelle too, good answer!
Myself, I am good with the lemon, just a few drops of unsweetened, or e-oil lemon, one drop in 16 oz. + of water.
A hint of flavor. Or try lime.

Again, check with the dietician, nutritionist, or doctor about carbonation, artificial sweeteners, flavored drinks (hopefully with NO fructose corn syrups).

Even bottled waters have different tastes. Some people are more sensitive than others. Use bottled, not tap water if your patient doesn't like water. Serve cold.

Then, there is one's mouth, or palate to consider. How many of us like to drink a glass of water just after brushing our teeth? Medications can wreck havoc in drying out the mouth, and other sensations like a metallic taste.

Have you ever had a piece of chocolate, (cake or candy)--
again,( check with prescribed diet), and then had a good cup of coffee? The taste of coffee was 'the best you ever had?'
It is because of what went before. A clean well-rinsed mouth, a clear palate, a pretty glass or cup, someone to sit and share a very weak cup of lemon-water tea...all these can add to the desirability of drinking water.

DO NOT EVER, EVER, ask me to drink tap water out of a styrofoam cup, or one of those beige, tan colored cups they have in hospitals. NEVER!

Okay? Get the picture? Serve lots of watermelon if Mom likes it. Cut it up nice for her.

That's all I got for today Scrimble.  But I think you are on the right path trying to find a way to make ingesting more water APPEALING.
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This is from the Mayo Clinic website:

"You don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and spinach, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available."

Seriously, I'd offer a bottle of beer once in a while UNLESS the dietitian says not to for kidney reasons. There are lots of myths out there about hydration.
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Or even non-alcoholic beer more often, if they like the taste of beer. Your comment, Jeanne, made me think of 1600s America, when people drank a low alcohol content beer, small beer, as a way to get water that wasn't full of bacteria. :-) (That was my understanding of that history lesson.)
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Great discussion. Our Kroger has their own brand of fruit flavored waters, I tried the orange and it was delicious - like a creamcicle. I'm having hot water with lemon chunks in the morning, and that has been more craveable than I thought it'd be. Apparently good first-thing a.m. for pulling toxins. If she can have bubbles, LaCroix makes canned fizzy water with fruit flavors, they're terrific. Love the thoughts on clean palate, sendhelp. Good luck, OP!
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Mio - two flavors have electrolytes. my mom likes the blue one, but there is a grape too and maybe a lemon lime
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Propel water has some pleasant flavored waters. My husband and I were sickened by contaminated food in a restaurant (several people died), and plain water sickened us and recovery was long. Propel wasn't overpowering and we enjoyed it. I'd stay away from too much caffeinated drinks.
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I don't have much more to add, such wisdom in this forum, it's awesome. I have the same problem because mom hates water. Mom has some kidney issues but not horrible. So talking to a dietitian is the number one route to go.
I was told juices were ok for mom, which helped. Watermelon was another good one, but then she stopped eating that. Mom likes everything sweet, I tried flavored waters but it was a hit or miss thing. The nutritionist that we saw said anything liquid would help, she wasn't as focused on water as the doctor was. So we do juices, Ensure, breakfast drinks, some soda but usually clear sodas mixed with gatorade or juicell. Then between myself and the aides that come to the hous keep asking her all day long if she is thirsty and offer her a drink. Believe it or not, it adds up over the course of the day. Good luck.
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Lemon juice is the healthiest addition if you don't want to add extra chemicals, caffeine or sugar. Plus it is also a natural citrus energy booster and good for stimulating the liver, as well as a natural antioxidant. I fill a 2 Liter pitcher with water, ice and then just squirt a little bit of liquid lemon juice on top of it ( 2 to 3 teaspoons or to taste ) and it's wonderful all day. Personally, I aim to drink two of those pitchers a day since the pitcher system makes it easy to keep track of how much water you have drunk. I teach singing, and this is the way I get students who hate water to drink more water. You can also do this with lime juice or fresh sliced lemon, Orange slices, cucumber slices, strawberry and grape fruit and other summer fruits like the Arizona fancy spa hotels do. :-) Plain soda water is good too, alone or with any of these additions. It is nice to have an option that feels more like a treat sometimes. Good luck!
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A squeeze of lemon in cold water is good. Different bottled waters have different tastes. Try them out. Also, there is a company in Santa Cruz (I think) that makes something called Good Earth Tea which is delicious.
Some juice popsicles are also wonderful. Strawberry or lemon are my favorites. There are so many specialty bottled juices on the market that you ought to be able to find something that appeals to your mom.
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My mother loves cranberry juice. I mix it half and half with water.
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I also love Perrier, Pellegrino and the Lacroix flavored soda waters though they are pricey. I find the grocery and drugstores generic versions of soda waters with lemon/lime are not bad either and very affordable.
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Another option is to make your own iced tea. It is very easy to make and cost effective. Look at http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sun_tea/. I recommend trying different types of herbal uncaffeinated teas. I just leave my pitcher on my kitchen counter for several hours.
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I buy Vitamin Water Zero. It's low sugar because sweetened with Stevia. My mom likes the lemon or orange.
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Depending on your mother's age, I would seek a second opinion. The elderly are not used to drinking a lot of water and most get an adequate amount of liquid from tea, coffee and other liquids. If she is incontinent, drinking more water only exaserbates this. Trying to force the issue of more water won't make a difference in an incontinent individual who is at an advanced age
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I am a non water drinker. All have a flavor I do not like from tap to bottle. The best flavoring for water is MIO a liquid in a small bottle. You can use as little or as much as you need. But now there are many less pricey. They also have single serve packets for water bottles. All are available in grocery or big box stores where they sell water. They are all sugar & sodium free but read labels. My favorite packets are Walmart Great Value Iced Tea or Blueberry Acai. I even take to restaurant to add to water there.
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Have you asked Mom what she'd like? I don't like plain water either. I buy the little bottles of Crystal Light and Kool-aid and add a few drops to a glass of ice and water. I also love fresh brewed iced tea. Also, has mom had a swallow test? If she had an episode where she took a drink and it "went down the wrong pipe" so to speak, she may be afraid to drink.
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