Staff across Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are promoting a national campaign to raise awareness of the support available for people with dementia.
Dementia Action Week focuses on raising awareness and offering support to those individuals with dementia, and starting conversations about dementia. 850,000 people in the UK are affected by dementia so this week is extremely important to talk about dementia and help to improve the lives of those affected.
Staff across both Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley District Hospital organised several events to promote this week. The team on Rookwood A ward who look after elderly patients have created a week of activities including a choir, bake sale and visit from the Pets as Therapy dogs. There will also be information stalls around the hospitals and information displayed in the library for people to access.
Staff at the hospitals have already introduced numerous initiatives to support patients with dementia. Staff on ward 24 at Royal Preston Hospitals have launched a campaign which encourages patients who may have a cognitive impairment such as dementia to wear purple slipper socks in order to ensure they are easily identifiable as being a potentially more vulnerable patient. These socks have been adopted across the hospitals and ensure that patients are receiving the best care and support possible for them.
Staff on ward 23 have also created a reminiscence room for patients with conditions such as dementia to make them feel more comfortable and at ease, and provide a quiet space for the individual to escape to. This is accompanied by a bus stop which aims to provide a sense of familiarity to patients so staff can then approach anyone sat in this area to check that they are OK.
Gail Naylor, Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said: “Our teams have gone above and beyond in promoting Dementia Action Week this week with various activities and information available for patients, visitors and colleagues. Dementia affects a huge number of people throughout the UK so ensuring that patients and loved ones have the correct information and support is vital for us.”