In hospitals, nursing homes or in private households, drinking cups are a valuable everyday aid. Drinking aids such as nasal cups, dysphagia cups, and sippy cups make drinking much easier and assist people with physical limitations in taking in fluids.
What is a sippy cup?
In hospitals, care facilities or in private homes, sippy cups are a valuable everyday aid. To maintain physiological and mental functions, adequate fluid intake is essential. Water losses must be continuously compensated for by fluid intake. Age-related and disease-related causes or physical impairments can lead to the organism receiving too little fluid. A lack of thirst (adipsia) in older people, reduced hand sensitivity or swallowing disorders prevent the absorption of the required amount of fluid. In these cases, special drinking cups can provide relief. Double-handle cups, nursing cups and cups with a nose cutout are suitable for people in need of care, people with restricted mobility or senior citizens. Drinking aids thus facilitate the supply of fluids and help those affected to enjoy a better quality of life. To make drinking cups easier to hold, many cup models have stable handles or ribbed surfaces. Various drinking openings make it easier to take in liquids in the case of sucking and swallowing difficulties. Transparent drinking vessels also allow constant monitoring of the amount of liquid absorbed. Specialty retailers for medical products and practice supplies also offer drinking cups with two lids – one lid protects against spillage, while the other serves as a drinking cover. Safety drinking cups or spout cups for hospitals and care facilities are made of shatterproof plastic and are both dishwasher safe and microwave safe.
Shapes, types and styles
Indication-specific drinking cups such as nasal cups and nursing cups are used for a wide variety of needs. Lightweight plastic cups are particularly well suited for people with limited hand function. Colored nursing cups with scales have a special outer structure for a secure grip. Various attachments can be used for liquids such as juice or water and also find application in the administration of viscous consistencies. Scaled drinking cups with hand clamps made of robust polypropylene can also be effortlessly clamped over the hand by persons with rheumatism or a physical disability. Drinking aids with leak-proof lids, handles and mouthpieces are also suitable for use in a lying position, depending on the type of mouthpiece opening. Nose cups have a recess in the nose area to make drinking easier for people with head and neck problems. For Alzheimer’s patients, drinking cups are available in signal colors to help them concentrate on drinking. In addition, specially shaped learn-to-drink cups are made for infants with drinking and sucking difficulties or as practice cups for toddlers.
Structure and mode of operation
Drinking cups are available in multi-faceted colors and with different capacities, such as 250 ml or 400 ml. These variant everyday helpers either perform specific functions or are multifunctional. Steam-sterilizable dysphagia cups support people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), as they can be used to administer liquid food even when the head is held straight. These drinking cups have a widened rim to support the lower lip and also encourage the swallowing reflex. Beak cups made of easy-to-clean plastic facilitate controlled feeding to the mouth. Even with strong tilting movements, no liquid can run into the face of the person drinking. Modern drinking aids for bedridden patients have a drinking lid with a straw inserted at an angle. In contrast to the conventional sippy cup, which often cannot be emptied completely, this prevents the impression that there is still enough liquid in the container. The patient is able to take up all the liquid independently, which prevents fluid loss. Grooved cups, with millimeter graduations made of transparent plastic and a small drinking opening for aspiration, have extra-wide grooves that are particularly easy to grip in the case of sensitivity disorders of the hands or slowed movements caused by tremor.To ensure adequate fluid intake for patients with Parkinson’s disease or dementia, slightly slanted drinking cups with robust drinking cup lids are often used in care facilities. These are easy to hold even with shaky hands. Drinking cups with a capacity of 250 ml and a nose cutout are particularly handy in terms of shape and are suitable for hot and cold drinks. People with coordination difficulties, limited motor skills or swallowing disorders can drink safely with these practical aids.
Medical and health benefits
Adequate hydration is important for both physical and mental performance. The body loses about 2.5 liters of water per day through respiration, perspiration, urine and stool. A lack of water causes a variety of complaints: Loss of concentration, headaches and listlessness. With increasing age, the body’s water content decreases. Particularly in older people and people with illnesses, a lack of fluid supply can quickly become critical. The serious consequences of dehydration include embolisms, circulatory problems, severe falls or acute confusion (delirium). The drinking behavior of seniors often changes, as the feeling of thirst decreases or swallowing difficulties occur, for example triggered by neurological diseases such as stroke or Parkinson’s disease. Drinking cups facilitate drip-free and independent drinking, provided that those affected still have a residual gripping function. In addition to nasal cups, sippy cups or drinking cups, drinking stands are offered for people who can no longer use their hands for gripping, such as wheelchair users or patients on free-standing bars. The medical aids offer various adjustment options and have a flexible gooseneck that can be guided to the mouth with the aid of a drinking tube. Mouthpieces with a reflux valve simplify the suction process considerably. Drinking reservoirs that are attached to the head end of a nursing bed or to the back of a wheelchair are also suitable for independent fluid supply. This allows the patient to drink fluid at any time. High-quality drinking aids not only enable people with disabilities to drink independently, but also bring noticeable relief for caregivers and family members.
