Dementia Friendly Awards
A number of wards and clinical teams at Derriford Hospital are celebrating having been presented with the Trust’s Dementia Friendly Award earlier this week.
A team comprised of Karen Grimshaw, the Trust’s Nurse Consultant for Older People, Dr Ian Sherriff – University of Plymouth and Alzheimers’ Society, June Wildman – Carer and member of the Trust Dementia Champions group and Claire Puckey – Plymouth Dementia Action Alliance manager, visited seven clinical areas who have been working towards the Trust improvement plan for the last few years to assess the work undertaken to date.
Karen Grimshaw, Associate Director of Nursing and Nurse Consultant for Older People said: “Each team that was visited had to explain and demonstrate how they would support a person with dementia, using a number of initiatives including the Forget-Me-Not symbol, ‘Getting to Know you’ leaflets and memory boxes.
“These initiatives, alongside staff training and the development of the Champion for Older People role, have been crucial to raising standards of care - through changing attitudes and the approach of staff towards people with dementia; allowing a very person-centred approach to their care in hospital.
“The awards show just how committed our teams are to meeting the needs of patients with dementia and the hard work that has been put in to improving their patient experience. I’m exceedingly proud to see these presentations taking place and cannot wait to see the Forget-Me-Not plaques bloom across all areas of our Trust.”
These are the first Dementia Friendly Awards to be presented to clinical teams who have made good progress towards the Trust’s standards for the care of people with dementia in hospital.
The wards have improved the patient experience in ospital with protected meal times, specialist crockery, different menu choices and a dining area in the ward lounge which allows a small number of people to eat away from their bedside.
The clinical teams awarded Dementia Friendly status are Orthopaedic Outpatients and Fracture Clinic, Clinical Decisions Unit, Main Outpatients Department, Monkswell, Hembury, Hartor and Shipley wards. These teams will continue with their work to improve care for people with dementia and support other teams to make good progress towards our local standards.
