Water is the theme of this year's Meals on Wheels Week, which starts next Monday (8 November).
The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has teamed up with Water UK and the Water for Health Alliance to encourage meals on wheels customers to drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day.
NACC national chairman Roger Kellow said many elderly people were reluctant to drink enough water because they dreaded having to make extra trips to the loo. But water was highly beneficial to people on medication, and dehydration made the elderly more prone to falls and to symptoms similar to dementia.
As part of the campaign, 12,000 cups of water will be delivered to homes in Essex, Sussex, Dorset, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Manchester.
Meals on wheels delivers more than 40 million meals a year.