Despite consensus about the preventable nature of dehydration, it remains particularly prevalent among older adults residing in residential care home settings. The aim of this study is to explore current hydration practices in residential care homes in Malta. An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted to provide an in-depth understanding of staffs practices for supporting residents hydration in care homes for older adults. Following a feasibility study to increase the overall methodological rigour, thirty-one staff participants across six residential care homes, covering all the six regions of Malta, participated in either face-to-face or online semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed through open coding, followed by axial coding. Peer debriefing amongst the research team was carried out until agreement was reached about the final themes. Three main themes emerged from the data: culture of promoting fluid intake; challenges in supporting older adults to achieve optimum hydration; and hydration practices and approaches. A hydration-promotion culture was evident across all care homes. However, there was a lack of consistency in monitoring hydration and daily fluid targets which emphasises the need for staff training and implementation of clear and accessible guidelines, policies and/or procedures in relation to hydration care within residential settings for older adults. Future research attention should focus on establishing an evidence-based approach to monitoring hydration status and identifying residents at risk of dehydration. Difficulty in monitoring the fluid intake of independent residents was highlighted and we contend that this group of residents should not be overlooked in view of the risk of dehydration. Employing robust and rigorous methods to establish the effectiveness and implementation of innovative approaches would help in making valid contributions to the local evidence base on hydration care in residential care settings.