How Good Are Jelly Drops?

How good are Jelly Drops? Jelly Drop sweets have been available since 2020 and are a revolution in hydration for people with dementia. They have helped thousands of elderly people who have struggled to drink enough fluids.

If you haven’t heard of them before and are unsure if they are worth getting, they are. Customers love them and over 10 million sweets have been sold to date.

What are They?

Jelly Drops are brightly coloured sweet treats created to boost water intake. Designed to be engaging, you want to pick them up and eat them. For this reason, they are especially good for people with dementia. They help promote increased hydration.

What Do Jelly Drops Contain?

Made from 95% water, they are sugar-free, vegan, have natural flavours and no artificial colours. Very importantly, Jelly Drops don’t have a laxative effect and can be eaten freely!

Who Invented Them?

Lewis Hornby invented Jelly Drops in 2018 when he was a Design student. He had the idea after his Grandma was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration. Fortunately, after 24 hours of IV fluids, she made a full recovery.

Investigating further, Lewis realised that dehydration was a very common, especially in people living with dementia.

Why People With Dementia Don’t Drink.

Lewis wanted to help. He started speaking with dementia psychologists. He discovered that many people with dementia don’t feel thirst or understand that a drink would quench their thirst. Also, many people with dementia don’t recognise cups or don’t have the dexterity to use them.

As a design student, he was able to move into his Grandma’s care home for a month to observe residents. He soon understood the issues. He noticed some residents putting food into their drinks or pouring them away.

Observing Eating Patterns.

Understanding why drinking was such a problem for people with dementia, Lewis observed their eating patterns. Here he noticed more independence and engagement especially when they used their hands instead of cutlery. However, nothing gained their attention as much as a box of chocolate or sweet treats.

When Lewis walked around with a box of these the residents were interested. They helped themselves and ate them.

Stigma-Free Treats.

Lewis designed his tray to look like a normal box of treats. It was important to him that the solution was stigma-free. Jelly Drops were to be a sweet that everyone could enjoy. Created with dementia in mind.

There is a brilliant Ted Talks video here where Lewis explains all.

How Good Are Jelly Drops?

Pretty amazing, don’t you agree? Jelly Drops are now widely available having finally reached the US. They have been long anticipated there and I am excited to watch the development of the product and the company as it grows.