Hospital focuses on dementia support

Yeovil District Hospital recognises that a significant number of patients have dementia and has recently run a highly successful awareness programme which has, to date, been attended by over 1100 staff from across the hospital.

Dementia is a disease in which there is a progressive deterioration of the brain tissue and its functions – it is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. One in 20 people at the age of 60 suffer from some form of dementia increasing to one in five at 80 years.

Symptoms include:

A diminishing ability to recall recent memories - they may not recognise their nearest and dearest

• Poor judgment - they may misjudge the heat of the cooker; be unable to judge if they are ill and have problems judging distance.
• Language
• Use of inappropriate words and the inability to name people, complete sentences, express themselves and understand what is said
• Daily tasks – getting dressed in the wrong order
• Hallucinations– they may see things that are not there eg a dog in the ward; snakes in their garden

Deputy Director of Nursing, Julie Vance said: “Dementia can have a devastating impact on the people who develop it and the families who care for them. A great deal can be done to help people overcome the problem of dementia, to prevent crises and improve the quality of life of all involved.

“We have to ensure people with dementia are properly diagnosed – it is estimated that only one third of those with dementia are diagnosed with it. The GP should be the first port of call if anyone has concerns about a loved one developing dementia. Evidence indicates that carer support and counselling at diagnosis can reduce care home placement by 28%.”

The awareness sessions are just one of the initiatives that Yeovil District Hospital is doing as part of its work to implement the National Dementia Strategy ‘Putting People First’.

Yeovil District Hospital staff have been trained to involve carers as much as they can because they are a vital source of help and information in getting to know and understand the patient and can help with communication.

A project which is enabling staff to better understand their patients is a ‘This is me’ patient passport which is compiled by the carers to help their loved one have a better experience in hospital. It contains information about the patient’s life history. Many dementia patients think they are living in their youth so this enables staff to understand more about what is going on in their minds.

The hospital is also exploring the use of ‘treasure boxes’ for patients which would contain mementos and photos to help them feel more secure in unfamiliar surroundings.The hospital is reviewing the menus it provides to dementia patients and is considering producing pictorial versions to help the patient better understand the choices. The provision of special crockery and cutlery will also help.

Director of Nursing, Sue Jones said: “We recognise we still have much more to do to improve the care we give to patients admitted to hospital who also happen to have dementia. However the progress we have made and the engagement by all staff in the hospital is very positive."

Julie added: “We can all play a part in protecting and supporting people with dementia and their carers. The important thing is, if anyone has concerns, to contact their GP to get an early diagnosis. Not all confusion is a result of dementia. It may be due to other physical illnesses such as a chest or urine infection, flu and depression.”

More information is also available from the Yeovil, Sherborne and District Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society on 01935 473597 email Yeovil.sherborne@alzheimers.org.uk