New project launches to help hospital patients with dementia
Dignity in Dementia is a project to help hospital patients with dementia
A pioneering project to support hospital patients with dementia will officially launch on Thursday 1 July in Poole's Dolphin Shopping Centre.
The aim of the project - called Dignity in Dementia - is to make improvements to the physical environment on Poole Hospital’s Lulworth Ward, to help reduce the anxieties and distress experienced by people with dementia when they have to undergo a hospital stay.
The project team will be outside Marks & Spencer in the Dolphin Shopping Centre from 9am-5pm on Thursday 1 July, and are eager to hear from members of the public about their own experiences, and their ideas for how the ward can be improved. There will also be competitions and prizes on offer for visitors to the stand.
Going into hospital can be a very frightening and disorientating time for people with dementia, but research has shown that by making changes to the physical environment, it is possible to significantly reduce levels of anxiety. Improving a patient’s surroundings can also make a big difference to their speed of recovery, as well as helping sleep patterns and encouraging appetite.
The project will focus on aspects of the environment such as decor, colour and lighting, and look at how these can be altered or enhanced to improve patients’ well-being when they stay in hospital.
Poole Hospital has been very privileged to receive a grant from The King’s Fund’s to support this work but the team are also hoping to raise more funds. To find out more about the project, and make a donation, please visit www.poole.nhs.uk/dignity_in_dementia
Date: 29 June 2010