Help the QEH improve the experience of our patients living with Dementia

For those living with dementia a hospital stay can be especially daunting. With the support of our local community, our ambition is to raise £80,000 to create a more comfortable environment for our patients living with dementia and ensure they have the best possible experience during their stay at QEH.

Dr James Casson, Clinical Director for Integrated Care of the Older Person, said:

With your help, we can make these important improvements to create a more dementia-friendly QEH. Together we can make a difference.

Phase Two: Specialist Therapies for our Patients

Phase Two began on 17 March 2023

With Phase Two of the appeal we hope to further increase the well-being of our patients living with dementia by providing specialist therapies, including exercise therapy and creative activities.

These therapies can help people living with dementia by reducing the impact of anxiety and depression, whilst helping maintain verbal communication. Exercise therapy can enhance quality of life and has a positive impact on not only the patient, but their family and carers.

The qualified therapists have the best skillset to provide stimulating care for our patients. One-to-one sessions will be tailored to meet the needs of the individual patients, and group sessions will encourage interaction and socialising with others.

Phase One: Specialist Equipment for our Patients

In the first phase of the appeal, we purchased various pieces of equipment to help our patients living with dementia. This includes:

1. Dementia-friendly activity packs

2. Dementia-friendly calendar clocks

3. Reminiscent Interactive Therapy & Activity computer systems (or RITA)

1. The Appeal has already funded all adult wards with Dementia-friendly activity packs. These include games, reminiscence cards and jigsaw puzzles, which will entertain, boost confidence, independence and support changing abilities.

These activities play an important role in helping our patients feel more at ease during their hospital stay and help improve their wellbeing.

2. We have also displayed all 18 adult wards with Dementia-friendly calendar clocks. The calendar clocks can reduce confusion and support patients living with dementia to easily access the day, date and time.

3. RITA computer systems reduced confusion boredom whilst also entertaining patients living with dementia. This computer system allows patients to engage in activities on their own or for the entire ward. Activities include karaoke, bingo, and virtual colouring.

Please watch this video made by My Improvement Network, the creators of RITA below for more information:

Dr Katie Honney, Care of the Elderly Consultant and Clinical Lead for Dementia Care, said:

Updates and Milestones

27/06/22:

A huge thank you to the community for their generous support for our campaign. With your contributions, we have purchased 18 Dementia-Friendly Calendar Clocks, 2 Hand-picked Activity Packs, 3 Reminiscence Interactive Therapy and Activities (RITA) upgrades plus 2 brand new RITA systems.

26/07/22:

We have now managed to provide Dementia-friendly calendar clocks to every bed and side room in West Dereham, West Newton, Feltwell, Leverington, and Oxborough wards. Numerous items from the hand-picked.

09/08/22:

22 more clocks have arrived on the Trust. Seven are for West Raynham ward, nine to Stanhoe ward, and six to Marham ward.

14/09/22:

Furnishing side rooms with dementia-friendly calendar clocks was not originally in the Dementia Care Appeal brief, but the clinical team decided to expand the amount of clocks wards! This was decided after witnessing the effectiveness of the clocks on patients first-hand. Importantly, any patient with dementia who is cared for in a side room anywhere in the hospital will benefit. This decision means that we aim to purchase considerably more clocks to completely equip all the wards.

13/12/2022:

Thanks to the wonderful generosity of our donors and the efforts of our fundraisers in the community who continue to support us, we have managed to exceed the 75% mark of our £40,000 goal within 11 months. This has allowed us to purchase a total of 85 dementia-friendly calendar clocks to furnish all our 18 wards, both bays and side rooms. We have also bought three complete collections of hand-picked activity packs to supply our wards with entertainment suitable for patients living with dementia. As we march ever closer to our £40,000 target, we are now focused on purchasing new Reminiscence and Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) systems and upgrades.

17/03/2023:

Thank you so much for your donations! Due to the huge outpouring of support and enthusiasm from our local community we achieved our goal of £40,000 within 15 months. New RITA devices have been bought and some upgraded; 3 complete collections of hand-picked activity packs have been purchased and distributed across our wards; and all our ward bays and side rooms are now equipped with dementia-friendly calendar clocks. The QEH has decided to extend the campaign and double the target. We hope to further increase the well-being of our patients living with dementia by providing specialist therapies, including exercise therapy and creative activities.

07/11/23:

Many thanks for everyone's generous donations to help our patient experience for people living with dementia. Thanks to your generosity, we have smashed through our new £80,000 target, raising over £100,000! We have now been able to supply future patients with specialised exercise therapies by Exercising People in Communities (or 'EPIC') Norfolk.

To read more about our appeal's journey, please visit: https://qehklmediahub.com/2023/11/07/youve-done-it-dementia-care-appeal-exceeds-target-with-100k-donated-to-help-our-patients/

Many thanks again.

Interested in Fundraising for the QEH?

If you would like to fundraise for your local hospital, please email Charity@qehkl.nhs.uk or call 01553 613309 for more info.

Or, if you'd prefer to write, please send your letter to; Communications Engagement & Fundraising Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gayton Road, Kings Lynn, PE30 4ET.