Innovative new startup Jelly Drops launches to help those living with Dementia

by Startacus Admin

We take a look at Jelly Drops, a new product developed by 26-year old inventor Lewis Hornby to boost the water intake of the elderly and those living with dementia

After 18 months of development and several months of beta testing during Covid-19, an innovative new startup, Jelly Drops, has just launched in the UK aimed at boosting the water intake of the elderly and 850,000 Britons living with dementia. Dehydration is especially common amongst the elderly, especially those with dementia, as they often forget to drink. 

Jelly Drops are tasty, sugar-free water sweets, made up of 95% water and electrolytes. They were developed by 26-year-old inventor, Lewis Hornby, in response to his late Grandma Pat’s struggle with dehydration due to dementia, for which she was admitted into hospital.  

The teardrop-shaped sweets come in six natural fruity flavours. Each tray holds 24 Jelly Drops, which equates to a boost of 300ml of water. The unique shape was especially designed to make them easy to pick up, enabling the elderly and those with dementia to boost their water intake independently and with dignity.  

Lewis Hornby, Inventor of Jelly Drops, comments “The initial response to the product has been fantastic - we are very excited to supply the 50,000 people on our waiting list. We have seen a huge demand from both care homes and the families of people with dementia. It’s incredible to know that we can help those living with dementia and give comfort to their families and loved ones.

Jelly Drops is supported with a £100K R&D investment from the Alzheimer’s Society as part of its new Innovation Accelerator Program amongst other investors. In return, the company will donate 1% of its profits to the charity. 

Colin Capper, Head of Research Development from Alzheimer’s Society adds: “Jelly Drops was one of the first innovations to be accepted into our Accelerator Programme, and we’ve been thrilled to support its journey to a widely-available product which is making a real difference to people with dementia. Original products and designs like Jelly Drops are key to helping overcome the everyday challenges faced by people with dementia, challenges that have been further amplified by the pandemic.”

It’s projected that by 2050, approximately two million people in the UK will be living with dementia,which can contribute to a reduced quality of life and even premature death. Innovative products such as Jelly Drops therefore ought to be welcomed by all!

 

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Published on: 6th October 2020