Any drink ideas for dehydration?

My doc also recommended things like apple sauce, jello and ice cream. Milk works too. I like the Alch. free O'Douls idea too. :)

How about alcohol free beer? The dark O'Doul's is pretty good.

How about alcohol free beer? The dark O'Doul's is pretty good.

Have the doctor order a swallow study by a speech language pathologist.

How about the flavored sparkling but not sweet water options? LaCroix, Nestle, Ice Mountain, Perrier, etc. All of them have lemon, lime, berry, citrus and other flavors and my MIL used to like them. Most are low in sodium too.

I had trouble getting my mother to drink water. What I did was to buy the small bottles of water from the store. They aren't an overwhelming amount of water, so she drinks them. They don't have the chlorine taste/smell she dislikes so much. The trouble now is that she drinks them so well that I have to go to the store for water quite often -- just another thing to load on this mule's back. :)

My father didn't drink a lot of water, but he would drink sodas sometimes. We do what we can to get enough fluids in them. If he'll eat salads it will help get water into him to wash the vegetables and leave them wet as possible. My father never complained, but I think he had trouble swallowing liquids. He also probably figured he wouldn't have to use the bathroom as much if he didn't drink. We do what we can.

Italian Ice, Popsicles, lollipops? Ensure/boost/ensure clear? Chicken/beef broth or bouillon. A chart to mark down the classes consumed can be helpful.

The threat of going to the hospital...you need to drink more so that you don't have to go to the hospital to get IV can be powerful. Recently, mom's Dr. ordered visiting nurse services. 2 x a week there is someone else besides me encouraging fluids and checking on her condition and talking with Dr. if needed. Medicare pays for this if the reason is to keep someone out of the hospital or nursing home. (more cost effective).

Have you tried any fruit juices? How about the nutritional drinks such as Boost, Ensure etc. My FIL recently had a cold and wouldn't drink water and I told him that he needed to drink or he would end up in the hospital getting IV fluids. I made him some sugar free Koolaid and he preferred that to water. He definitely preferred NOT to go to the hospital.

Is it possible he is having difficulty swallowing thin liquids? Choking on water was the first sign of my mom's swallowing difficulties. There are products available to thicken liquids if that is an issue. Beyond that can you try to focus on getting him to "eat" more fluids... include soups, juicy fruits, cereals with lots of milk etc? Try to gain his cooperation by telling him how hard this has been on his family if he won't do it for his own sake. And keeping a beverage at hand that he can sip from often might work better than trying to get him to drink a whole glassful at once.