After my father was admitted to the Wake Med ER for the third time in six months with a diagnosis of dehydration, I designed the CoolQuench together with Marvin Wheaton, VP Sales and Engineering with American Chillers, a manufacturer of custom-built water cooling systems for medical and commercial use.

Although my father was eventually moved to a skilled care nursing center (after the fourth time he was diagnosed with dehydration at the Wake Med ER), I wanted to see if there was a market for an assistive device that would make it easy for older adults and the disabled to stay healthy and hydrated in the comfort of their own home, and the CoolQuench Hands-Free Hydration Device was born!

Your pledge will help raise enough funding to start production on the CoolQuench at the conclusion of our pledge campaign. Reward tiers range from our $15 Senior Water Bottle labels (unique & fun!) to a reservation for a CoolQuench Hands Free Hydration Device at the pre-sales discounted price of $529. We hope you'll join our campaign to help find a solution to the growing problem of dehydration in older adults with your pledge of support for the CoolQuench.

Questions about the CoolQuench? Call 704-408-8791 or email me at jtuggle@thecoolquench.com. Thanks!

For a lot of older adults, you’d be surprised. I’m 55. My Dad’s 75. As we age, the thirst sensation decreases, so if my Dad doesn’t feel thirsty, he doesn’t think he needs anything to drink. And if he is thirsty, he can’t get a drink of water without assistance - and he won’t ask for help. The health risk, for people like my Dad, is they can become dehydrated, which can complicate any other health problems they may be dealing with.

Dehydration is one of the ten most frequent diagnoses responsible for hospitalization of adults in the US age 65 or older* and it costs the U.S. health care system more than 1.6 billion per year.  Older adults experience a declined level in total body water content, and some medications can cause an additional loss of body water, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration has been associated with memory impairment, falling, daytime fatigue and urinary tract infections.  To compound the problem, older adults do not drink enough fluid because they do not feel thirsty. Almost 25% of all adults over the age of 65 have difficulty walking, so many lack the strength and coordination to even pour themselves a drink when they are thirsty. And with so many baby boomers nearing retirement age, I thought there may be a need for an assistive device that enables older adults and the disabled to get a drink of chilled water without depending on others for assistance.*Source: Health Care Financing Administration

The CoolQuench is a hands-free hydration device that gives older adults and the disabled the freedom to get a drink of chilled, filtered water without asking for help or even leaving their bed. Even the simple act of getting up and filling a water bottle with ice water to keep at their bedside is difficult for many older adults. And ice eventually melts, so then they're left with room temperature water.

Here's how it works: The CoolQuench cooler unit circulates chilled water from the chiller tank up through the supply line and back down the return line to the chiller tank in a continuous recirculation loop so that the water inside the drink lines stays chilled whenever the user is ready to take a drink. The drink lines are enclosed inside a semi-rigid exterior sleeve that can be clamped to the bed and bent to position it more precisely for user with limited mobility. When the user is ready to take a drink, he bites down on the bite valve at the end of the drink line to release small amount of water into his mouth at any time without using his hands. When the user has finished his drink, the bite valve closes to prevent any water from leaking from the drink line until the user is ready to take another drink. This way, the user can take small sips of chilled, filtered water throughout the day without assistance. The CoolQuench offers users access to chilled, filtered water hands-free from their bedside or from the cooler faucet with a handle that's easily accessible from a wheelchair. Water temperature can be adjusted to the user's preference from 53.6° to 35.6°. To prevent the growth of bacteria in the drink lines and the chiller tank, the CoolQuench has integrated the patented SiP system to sanitize the the chiller tank daily as the chilled water circulates through the drink lines and back into the chiller tank http://www.siptechnologies.com/sip_Omega.html .

The standard CoolQuench model is designed to be used with three or five gallon water bottles. The bottleless point-of-use (POU) model is available as an upgrade for users who want to connect the CoolQuench to their existing home plumbing system.

Available accessories for the CoolQuench include a Personal Hydration Volume Meter that can be used with the CoolQuench POU model or any POU cooler to keep track of how much water is consumed from the cooler, and a Vibrating Hydration Alarm that the user can set for up to 12 daily reminders to take a drink.

The simplest way to prevent dehydration is to just turn on the faucet and drink a glass of water. It's easy enough to filter out sediments and unpleasant tastes from tap water, but if a user needs help with pouring and/or drinking water, then he or she must rely on assistance from a caregiver. 

The staff at skilled care nursing homes and some assisted living centers make regular "Hydration Rounds" every morning and afternoon to help their residents stay hydrated between meals, but many assisted living centers do not have personnel who are trained to recognize signs of dehydration, and seniors suffering from dementia may not ask for something to drink even when they are thirsty. 

Many seniors don't have the resources available that would enable them to move to a nursing home or assisted living center, and even if they could, most seniors want to stay independent in their own home for as long as possible. If the user is disabled or has difficulty walking, a pitcher of ice water can be supplied at the bedside or there are inexpensive cups with straws available that can be attached to a bed or wheelchair. But a caregiver would still need to be available to refill a water bottle or ice pitcher filled on a regular basis if the user were unable to drink without assistance. 

The CoolQuench is different in that clean, chilled, filtered water is available 24/7, and as long as users can sit up in bed, they can drink frequent small sips throughout the day without assistance. Even if the user has a caregiver, it's much easier for the user to stay hydrated independently in this way than it is to have a caregiver help the user periodically drink a full glass of water. The CoolQuench can even help users and/or caregivers track the volume of water consumed with the specially designed volume meter available as an accessory that can detect even small sips of water at a time.

The CoolQuench can prevent dehydration that would otherwise be expensive to treat if the user had to be treated in a hospital with an IV solution or oral rehydration therapy. By giving users more control and independence over their access to chilled, filtered water, the CoolQuench helps older adults and and the disabled stay better hydrated, healthier, and happier in their own home!

At this time, we're looking for home healthcare service providers to partner with us on a pilot program with their clients and caregivers. Then, we'll use their feedback to update our marketing plan before offering the CoolQuench for sale online to consumers for around $750. We'll also be testing Amazon.com as another sales channel for us.

We hope you'll support our campaign with a pre-sales order for a CoolQuench, but we have several other pledge levels you can choose from, too. All reward levels include free shipping to Continental U.S. Please forward if you know anyone who can help!

The CoolQuench Hands-Free Hydration Assistive Device Pre-Sales - $529

It seems like everyone knows a loved one or friend who has been hospitalized for dehydration or is at risk for dehydration. The old saying is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and compared to the cost of dehydration hospitalization and rehabilitation therapy, the CoolQuench is a bargain at $529. POU model available for an additional $70.

Personal Hydration Volume Meter - $99

  Track the amount of water consumed daily with our Hydration Volume Meter. Install it on the incoming 1/4" water line for the CoolQuench POU model or any POU water cooler with the 1/4" NPT line connectors (included). It's battery operated, so you can even install it on a portable Hydration backpack (like a Camelbak) drink tube and carry it with you.

"Invisible Clock" Vibrating Hydration Alarm - $35

The "Invisible Clock" Vibrating Hydration Alarm can be set for up to 12 daily hydration/medication reminders. Five powerful timing features, including the ability to beep or to silently vibrate will help you reach your daily hydration goal. Also use it also as a Silent Alarm Clock - wake up without waking your partner! Includes a quick-release secure belt/garment clip.

Senior Water Bottle Labels - $15 for three sets of seven waterproof labels                                                                                                                           

Not only are our senior water bottle labels practical, they're lots of fun - and waterproof, too! You'll get three sets of seven different water bottle labels to wrap around a .5 liter (16.9 oz) water bottle or smaller (21 labels total). These sassy labels will add a distinctive flair and help your favorite senior identify their water bottle, too!