Local hospitals pull out all the stops to help raise awareness of dementia
Epsom and St Helier hospitals recognised Dementia Awareness Week 2016 in style, putting on a range of special activities – including tea parties, dedicated information points and a concert – as part of a programme of events for patients, visitors and staff.
The action-packed week also marked the official launch of the trust’s Dementia Strategy, setting out the long-term vision for the hospitals’ ongoing journey to becoming a leader in delivering the best possible care to people living with dementia. Deputy Chief Nurse Carole Webster explained: “Dementia Awareness Week is an incredibly important movement, helping to raise awareness of an illness that now affects over 850,000 people living in the UK. So, with that in mind, we decided to go all-out this year!
“Teams on both sites worked really hard to deliver a programme of events to not only help raise awareness, but celebrate some of the great work we have been doing to improve how we care for those living with dementia. At Epsom, our Older Persons Assessment and Liaison Service (OPALS) team organised a wonderful afternoon tea – called Nanma’s Tea Party in honour of a colleague’s grandmother who sadly passed away recently – which brought together people living with dementia, carers, trust staff and colleagues from a range of partner organisations. The room was decorated with old-fashioned bunting, with music from bygone days playing in the background while people enjoyed a selection of sandwiches and traditional cakes.
“At St Helier, the OPALS team organised a special music concert on Ward C2 – the first ward we have specifically adapted to have a focus on caring for people living with dementia – which went down a treat with patients, their loved ones and the staff. The team also held a successful fundraising event towards the end of the week, raising almost £400 which will go towards providing materials for additional activities for patients on C2.”
In addition to their flagship events, each site also hosted information stands providing members of the public and staff the opportunity to find out more. And, thanks to some specially-arranges sessions, an additional 35 staff completed their Dementia Friends training – part of the Alzheimer’s Association initiative to encourage people to learn more what it is like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action.
Chief Nurse Charlotte Hall said: “It was a fantastic week all round, but there were two particular highlights for me: the trust making its pledge to support John’s Campaign which recognises and champions the rights of those caring for people living with dementia, and the launch of our Dementia Strategy.
“Whether it is the opening of our first ward with a dedicated focus on dementia (ward C2 at St Helier), the introduction of twiddlemuffs (to help keep worried hands busy), afternoon tea for patients and their carers, or 'memory boxes' filled with memorabilia from decades past, we have realised some truly fantastic achievements over the last 12 months. Having set ourselves such a solid foundation now is the perfect time for us to look ahead to the future and think about how we can continue on our journey to becoming a leading light in caring for people living with dementia. This is where the Dementia Strategy comes in – it draws together the many pieces of work already underway and, through focusing on five key aims, sets out the vision (and pathway) for our ongoing journey to delivering the best possible care to those living with dementia.
“I am really thrilled with how Dementia Awareness Week went, and would like to thank everyone involved in making it such a success, including our partners from the Alzheimer’s Society.”
You can read more about John’s Campaign, including Epsom and St Helier’s hospitals’ pledge, by visiting the news section on the trust’s website www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/news or www.johnscampaign.org.uk.
