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"Simply brilliant and brilliantly simple. The Hydrant should be on every hospital and care home bed in the country – it enables people to drink easily and without assistance at any time of the day. I have no doubt that it will make a major contribution to the reduction in dehydration related problems in the healthcare arena"
Sir Ranulph Fiennes BT OBE, Patron of Hydrate for Health Ltd
"I've been in trauma nursing for 20 years and this is one of the best ideas I've ever seen"
Squadron Leader Ian Slaughter, Officer Commanding - Nursing, Headley Court, The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre
"Dear Mark, I am a 56 year-old paraplegic T4 complete, and have been for the past 12 years. During the night, I need to drink water frequently and thanks to The Hydrant,
there is no more knocking glasses over, fumbling for bottles , or the bed remote to sit myself up , tipping water down my neck, waking me and unable to get back sleep. Now I am almost drinking in my sleep what a great relief.
I will place an order for another to use when driving my car, great product."
Regards Julian Stalley.
"My 18 year old daughter has Cerebral Palsy and uses an electric wheelchair - she has always been a bit of a nightmare when it comes to drinking enough fluids and is also very dependant on others to fetch her a drink if she wants one. The Hydrant has been brilliant over the past few weeks, not least because I can keep tabs on exactly how much she has had just by glancing at the back of her wheelchair.
She is much more independent as she does not have to ask others if she wants a drink, can drink exactly when she wants as it is always accessible, and it seems to be somewhat of a challenge to her to empty The Hydrant bottle every day!!
As an ex nurse, I think these would be a godsend in hospitals where too many patients are left to dehydrate because staff do not have the time to pour patients water out or sit people up to drink. For those like my daughter, who are disabled it gives back some degree of independence and ensures there is no excuse (bar someone not filling it up of course) for anyone to become dehydrated. Thanks, and well done for such a simple, but effective product."
Karen McIllravie
"Hi Mark, I am so pleased with the Hydrant as I suffer with severe M.E and find to keep lifting a jug and pouring water doesn’t sound like a lot but when you can hardly lift your arm up it saves a great deal of energy and my hands and arms are constantly in pain so to just have to move the tube over to your mouth is so much easier than lifting cups and refilling them. Also my saliva glands have stopped working so I constantly want drinks + I can fit it to my wheelchair too!! Thank you so much"
Mattie Lowther
"Hi Mark, My husband who has MS and is very severely disabled thinks the Hydrant is the greatest invention ever! I have to help him with it but it saves me getting up several times in the night to give him a drink as all the medication makes him so thirsty. We also have a lot of carers and community nurses in and out and they also have shown an interest."
Regards Ina Munro
"Dear Mark
Good comments for you please use them as you wish and you can use my name I am happy for you to.
Firstly since I bought this from you at Naidex I have not once had to resort to antibiotics because of water infections. These were something I was getting on a regular basis about every 3 weeks.
I can hook the bottle up to the chest of draws at night and this means I can get a drink myself without having to get the carer to get one for me so they get a good nights sleep even if I don't.
When I am travelling in my van I can drink anytime I want without having to get the carer to stop, come through to the back and organise my drink. When you are doing a 5 hour journey this is a real boon. The extra water in this situation has meant I don't arrive at journeys end with a headache, or a cross driver because he had to stop several times.
Thank you so much for my much improved quality of life."
Tom Wallace
"Hi Mark
I received the Hydrant yesterday and put it to use straight away, I am very impressed, and it does everything the website promises.
I am wheelchair dependent following a road accident in 2002, in which I sustained a spinal cord injury, the outcome of this leaves me a tetraplegic, which means that I have paralysis of my entire body from the chest down, I have limited movement of my arms but cannot pick any thing up, therefore the Hydrant is ideal for my use, I can lift my hand to my face with the tube attached to my clothing and drink from the tube.
Once again congratulations on a first class product."
Regards, Ian Spalding
"I am now recovering at home following a successful first phase of surgery on my back. The Hydrant seems to me to be a simple and innovative answer to a difficult, and in some cases life-threating, problem in health care and I applaud you in finding such a simple solution. I hope you are having a good response from the NHS. In the last couple of years, I have spent quite a lot of tine in hospital and I can say that there is a great need for solutions in patient care like this to offset nursing shortages, and to help when things get very busy. Best of luck in your endeavours in the future. I’ll spread the word where I can."
C M SINGLETON, Wing Commander RAF, hospital patient
"FANTASTIC! - I currently have one patient using it and she is addicted & won't let it go!! Being that she is young it has already given her some independence which is just what I hoped for (and you!) I will be ordering more and the tubes - I am also feeding this back at the next senior sisters meeting so look out for more orders as I feel this could be circulated to the elderly as well as the infirm."
Hospital Ward Manager
"Hello Mark, just a few lines you thank you for The Hydrant that you passed on to me at this years’ Care Show in Bournemouth in April.
A resident, who is solely dependent on us for almost everything, was delighted to receive it. It created independence as she had a constant source of water on tap wherever she went day and night. We have now placed an order for more so that more of our residents can also benefit. Thank you for this simple but fantastic idea. We will always have The Hydrant drinking system in our home."
Sue Howick, Manager, Winton House
"Hi mark - I’ve got on so well The Hydrant, I had a neurological hospital bed fitted into my home as sometimes I’m bed bound by my condition, its nice for my family to not worry if I have access to fluids and its great to not have to get up all the time
Now purchased a 2nd one as I’m now heading to a wheelchair near enough full time so will be adding this onto the chair for when I’m out and about.
Certainly comes highly recommended by me"
Catherine Hedger
"Hi Mark, just to confirm that The Hydrant has been very successful with one of our residents that ordinarily had 3-4 beakers on her bedside table. The good thing with the system is that this lady can now be more independent with her fluid intake as she does not have to wait or rely on staff being available to replenish her beakers. Thanks again"
Cathy Doswell, Littleport Grange Nursing Home
We got the Hydrant for our 13yr old son who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and was losing the power to lift his arms and like most 13yr old boys wanted to be independent so rather than ask for help with lifting his drink and didn't like using straws because he felt too old and said straws were for little kids not teenagers avoided drinking. Having the hydrant gave him independence and now he has no problems drinking and is very happy to use this even when we go out we hook the bottle on the back of his wheelchair and passes the tube discretely round under his arm and clips to his clothing were he can then drink from the mouth piece easily
Diane Gilmour
Fabulous FABULOUS invention, brings me much independence and hydration I did not have without the full Hydrate for Health litre bottle and attachments, HUGE THANK YOU.
Mary Howgego
I think the Hydrant must be one of the best things ever invented for disabled people. I care for a relative who is almost completely paralysed with MS and was constantly calling on me for drinks, because the medication she takes dries out her mouth. She is now able to reach the tube and drink when she wishes. Many thanks for the extra time you have given to me.
Dave Hinxman
I have used both The Hydrant Sports and the Sports Hydration Bladder for Mountain Biking. The Hydration Bladder is a great benefit as when Mountain Biking as an Instructor I can carry my normal Bergen with tools and safety equipment and also carry a substantial amount of water in the bladder. If one uses the water-carrying packs available commercially then it is very difficult to find room for extra equipment an instructor must carry. I also carry the Sports Hydrant Bottle in a standard bottle cage, it is a perfect fit and has the benefit of also fitting the smaller bikes used by youngsters where the frames of their smaller bikes do not allow a full sized bottle to fit into the cage. I recommend both of these products for people who may not have considered their use outside of the obvious uses for people who are physically unable to help themselves to a drink whenever they want one.
Roy Fitzpatrick MIAS IMBA ABCC
Hi Mark, We purchased our Hydrant a couple of years ago and would really hate to be without it now. my husband has MS and is totally dependant on me for his quality of life, because of all his medication his mouth gets very dry and though he can drink through a straw during the day he needs help at night i just have to reach out for the Hydrant and' hey presto' water! He drinks 1 lt. of water overnight and the hydrant saves me having to be in and out of bed to give him a drink. The Hydrant is one of the small things that make a big difference to the life of a disabled person.
IM
Just wanted to let you how we got on with our Hydrant, which we purchased from you at the recent Coventry event.
Simply, it's great!
Nick
Dear Mark, I think I came across The Hydrant thought the Independent Living website. I have ordered one for my son who is tetraplegic and The Hydrant seems ideal for him, especially when he is in bed. He spent a year in the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Unit in Salisbury and it would have been great if he could have had some like The Hydrant there. I think he held the record for the most number of 'buzzes' at night for a nurse to get him a drink. Just thought I would let you know that The Hydrant has proved very successful. It is much more stable when hung on the back of my son's bed. It is also much easier to keep clean. Success! Thanks
Jeanette Everett
Dear mark, I am a carer for a lady, Janine Webster who is a c4/5 complete tetraplaegic.whilst accompanying her to the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville hospital recently, we were in the Physio department and I noticed a lady with one of your hydrate bottles attached to the back of her wheelchair. I thought how fantastic it looked and asked her about it. She told me somebody from your company had been there and had asked her to try it out. As soon as I could I checked out your website, and Janine, who greatly values her independence, asked me to order it for her. It means Janine, who drinks a lot, does not have to always call for a drink. The greatest benefit to her, I feel is its use overnight. I can attach it to the back of her bed, clip it to her nighty, and she can drink whenever she wants, rather than getting carers up for one.which, although that is part of our job, she is reluctant to do!
Janine is very happy with it, and says she will be telling friends who would benefit from using it all about it.
Carol Towersey
Just a quick testimonial from me: I have just spent the last 4 weeks in hospital, 3 weeks of which were complete bed rest on my back with a collar on. I came of my bicycle and have c2 and c3 spinal fracture. Luckily the ward I was on was trialing the Hydrant. It was an absolute saviour, there is no way I would have stayed anywhere near hydrated without it. Staffing levels were not adequate to enable me to feed with a cup and straw at will. I've very thankful for the nurse who gave me the Hydrant, and for you who made it!
Phil Walker
Dear Mark,
I think that your product is really good, a very simple and effective solution to a huge problem.
FJ
Just spent two weeks cycling round Cornwall with the Sports Hydrant as my extra friend on the handlebars. It just clips on securely and is always ready for a quick swig. After hundreds of miles across all terrain I can report that it’s secure, safe and (in all this mud and rain) much cleaner than the bottles ‘down below’.
Cheers!
Rob
Mark – awesome product. I was in hospital for a spinal operation and really struggled to get a drink until I was given a Hydrant. It is simply brilliant. What a great solution to a massive problem in the health system. They should be on every hospital bed!! Good luck.
RJB