Visiting the hospital while living with dementia can be stressful and worrying for both patients and their families or carers.
At Royal Surrey, we are continually working towards making the hospital Dementia Friendly. Our multidisciplinary team enhances care and the experience for both patient and carer.
Lydia Russell, the Dementia and Delirium Lead Nurse, oversees all dementia and delirium care and provides support and advice for patients and their families or carers. You can contact Lydia at 01483 571 122 ex 4346 or via email at lydiarussell@nhs.net.
The Forget-Me-Not symbol is used in the hospital to identify patients with dementia, prompting staff to adjust their communication accordingly.
We developed the 'This is me, My care passport' with the Alzheimer’s Society and Learning Disability Specialists. This document offers vital patient information, enabling staff to deliver compassionate person-centred care.
The document can be used when caring for patients with a variety of conditions. Download and fill in your My Care Passport.
Once you have filled out the passport please pass it on to the ward staff.
Hospitals can be disorienting for patients with dementia, however there are ways to make their stay easier:
The Royal Surrey Charity established the Dementia Charity Fund in 2012.
Previous donations have gone towards buying equipment such as a Tovertafel (Magic Table) and Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) tablets.
All these items, are used by staff and volunteers to help improve a person’s wellbeing, stimulate past memories and encourage conversation. They are used to build trust and a relationship between staff and patients.