The Effect of Audible Alarm on the Fluid Consumption of the Elderly

The Effect of an Audible Alarm on the Fluid Consumption of The Elderly Living in a Nursing Home: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Research shows that older people need reminders to increase fluid consumption. The aim of the research was to investigate the effect of an audible alarm on the fluid consumption of old people living in a nursing home. The research was conducted as a single-blind, randomized controlled, prospective experimental study on the pre-test post-test model.

The study was performed between 27 July 2017 and 1 February 2018 at a nursing home in the west of Turkey. Out of 979 in nursing home who conformed to the inclusion criteria of the study, 100 (intervention group (n: 50) and control group (n: 50) were voluntarily included in the sample. The intervention group was given education and a wristwatch which gave an audible alarm to remind them to drink liquid, the control group was given only education. The old people in both groups were monitored before the education, after the education, after the audible alarm and 15 days after the audible alarm every three days on total of 12 days. The amount of liquid that the elderly should drink daily was determined according to Gaspar formula.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Criteria for inclusion in the study were being aged 65 or over, not having a fluid deficiency and living in nursing home.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria were having an education level of less than primary education
• Being visually or aurally impaired,
• Being bedridden,
• Not being able to take liquids orally, Having health problems such as fever,
• Vomiting, diarrhea or kidney disease causing fluid loss,
• Taking diuretic medication and using more than more than five doses per day,
• Having a diagnosis of a disease such as kidney failure or cardiac insufficiency requiring restriction of fluids, or having a diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric dysfunction, or dementia or Alzheimer's.