The importance of hydration and the necessity of providing safe, reliable, hygienic and great tasting beverages to staff, patients and visitors is widely acknowledged across the health sector. At Kafevend we specialize in providing coffee machine, vending machine and water solutions to hospitals, surgeries and health centers.
There is simply nothing better than being able to offer a comforting cup of professionally brewed coffee, or tea to a patient (or member of their family) to help them feel human, calm and cared for and of course we must not overlook the needs of the staff too. A little luxury goes a long way to help keep the workforce happy, energised and of course productive.
Whilst hot drinks do indeed influence hydration levels, water is still the optimum choice. The European Food Safety Authority recommends that men drink 2.5 litres of water per day and 2.0 litres for women. Whilst this water can come from both food and drinks, they suggest that 70–80% of a daily water intake should come direct from drinks and 20–30% from foods. Hot drinks will help to meet a daily drinking target however, water is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate as it has no calories or sugar.
A hospital is required to ensure that employees have adequate access to safe drinking water and ideally a ‘Hydration Station’ should include a range of hot and cold drinks including plain drinking water. The 1992 Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations (Regulation 22) states that employers should meet certain requirements which include:
Ensuring that staff and patients drink enough water throughout the day is key. Staying hydrated can help to improve work productivity, enabling better performance, both mentally and physically. Importantly, different types of environment can impact how much water is required and in a busy, warm hospital, moisture evaporation can increase, leading to faster dehydration than normal.
One of the biggest hydration issues faced by hospitals is encouraging staff and patients to drink the recommended amounts, so how can hospitals help?
Encouraging staff to have a drink of water as soon as they get to work sets them up for a great shift, whilst encouraging patients to replace lost fluids from sleeping, when they wake up in a morning is a great start. When tea and coffee rounds are being made, ensure patients are also given a drink of water to have after their tea or coffee, again, this is a great way to maintain optimum hydration.
Environmental Awards
We have been shortlisted and finalists for the following environmental awards:
