A group of adult nursing students at the University of South Wales have come up with a simple idea that could help hospital staff monitor a patient’s fluid intake.
They are proposing that hospitals introduce jugs with yellow lids, rather than the traditional blue lids, for patients who are either having their fluids restricted or monitored.
The lids, which cost as little as 70p each, would provide hospital staff on busy wards with an easy visual clue about which patients require careful monitoring.
One student nurse said: "Although nursing staff make every effort to ensure patients are getting the correct fluids, we all agreed that it can be quite difficult to know which patients are having their fluids monitored on a ward.
Some patients, for example, may be on fluid restrictions following complications such as heart failure, whilst others might be being encouraged to drink more because they are dehydrated. Yellow was chosen as it is considered a colour that is positive for people living with dementia as well as people with impaired vision."