Background: Low-intake dehydration is frequent among institutionalised older adults and is associated with high morbidity–mortality and healthcare costs. Its prevention requires effective strategies and professional and institutional coordination. Objective: This study aims to explore the knowledge on the identification and prevention of dehydration, as well as the management of hydration by healthcare professionals and management in a nursing home. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study with a phenomenological approach convened two focus groups with 18 nurses and assistants alongside two semi-structured interviews with managers. The content analysis addressed five dimensions: knowledge; identification of dehydration; prevention of dehydration; barriers and facilitators; and actions proposed to improve hydration. Results: Participants recognised the importance of hydration but reported barriers including limited training, absence of specific protocols, and imprecise record systems. Facilitators included hydration reminders, improved accessibility to water, sensorial resources, promotion of independence, social activities, and institutional support for preventive strategies. Conclusions: These findings show that preventing and managing dehydration in nursing homes is complex and can be influenced by organisational and structural factors. The nursing team plays a central role in detecting dehydration early and implementing personalised strategies to promote fluid intake, while managerial support strengthens their effectiveness. Improving staff training, developing practical guidelines, and refining record systems may help address the identified barriers and enhance person-centred hydration management aligned with residents’ needs.
Background: Several strategies have been proposed to promote hydration among institutionalized older adults, including systematic hydration rounds and, more recently, the use of Socially Assistive Robots (SAR). However, their implementation in nursing homes remains limited. Objective: To compare changes in fluid intake over a one-month period among residents exposed to two hydration-promotion strategies and to identify baseline characteristics associated with fluid intake. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a nursing home. Residents were assigned to either a systematic hydration rounds intervention with manual recording or a SAR-supported multicomponent educational intervention including reminders, positive reinforcement, and digital intake monitoring. Fluid intake was monitored for one month and analyzed using adjusted mixed-effects linear regression models. Results: Residents in the systematic hydration rounds group showed higher fluid intake throughout follow-up. In the longitudinal analysis, assignment to the SAR-supported group was independently associated with lower fluid intake during follow-up (β = −354.24 mL/day; p < 0.001), after adjustment for baseline fluid intake and functional dependence. No significant differences were observed in intake trajectories between strategies. Dysphagia was independently associated with lower fluid intake, whereas diabetes was associated with higher fluid intake. Conclusions: Residents assigned to the systematic hydration rounds group showed higher fluid intake during follow-up. Dysphagia was associated with lower fluid intake, highlighting the need to adapt hydration-promotion strategies to residents’ swallowing-related needs. Although the SAR-supported intervention was not associated with higher fluid intake, the findings suggest that technological tools for hydration promotion and monitoring require adequate integration into routine clinical practice.