Transcript The ward was - Dementia Partnerships

A project to help hospital patients with dementia
Project team: Louise Jenkins, Ward Sister & Project Lead
Karen Hollocks, Media & Communications Manager
Emma Lever, Senior Occupational Therapist
Charlotte Day, HCA & Dementia Champion
Jill Legg, Public Representative
Project supported by…
“Even if I forget my facts, I remember
my feelings”
- An insight from a patient with dementia
About the project
• Dignity in Dementia began as a project to enhance
the healing environment on Lulworth Ward
• Lulworth Ward is an acute medical ward for elderly
people where a high proportion of patients have
some form of cognitive disorder
• The project looked at aspects of the environment
such as colour, lighting, décor and signage, and
consider how these can be improved to help patients
• Funding - The King’s Fund EHE programme; The
Trust Board and Fundraising
Join us on a journey…
Why does the environment matter?
“The first requirement of a hospital should be that it should
do the sick no harm. Little as we know about the way in
which we are affected by form, colour, by light, we do
know this – that they have a physical effect. Variety of
form and brilliancy of colour in the objects presented to
patients is the actual means of recovery.”
Florence Nightingale, Notes on Hospitals, 1885
How do colour & art make a difference?
• Perception of colour deteriorates with age; dementia
further limits ability to distinguish colours (eg contrast,
sensitivity)
• Strong colours and contrasts therefore required to
support patients’ independence and help orientation
• Broad evidence colour has a powerful effect on mood
• Art can aid memory and familiarity; stimulate
discussion; positive effect on healing process
• Healthcare studies have proven reduction in levels of
anxiety, stress and depression; reduction in use of
some medications; increased staff morale
How does light make a difference?
• A 75-year-old requires 10x more light than a 50-year-old to
achieve the same visual performance
• Circadian rhythm - better sleep patterns, alleviates depression,
improves food intake
• Eases pain – patients exposed to twice as much sunlight
required 22% less analgesic medication per hour
• Reduces delirium – patients with access to natural light had
more accurate memory of hospital stay; incidence of
hallucinations and delusions twice as high in windowless rooms
• Staff performance – exposure to daylight for 3 hours a day
causes less stress and higher staff satisfaction
Key consultation results
• The ward was:
- Plain, drab, dull (staff)
- Plain, drab, dull (service users)
- Outdated, drab, dull (public)
Our corridor
• Ward should be:
- Colourful, welcoming, comforting (staff)
- Welcoming, natural light, clearly signed (service users)
- Comforting, calming, welcoming (public)
• Preferred themes:
- Poole, countryside, flowers (staff)
- Seascapes, animals, Poole (service users)
- Flowers, countryside, seascapes (public)
An EHE project corridor
Our vision for the ward
• Developed feedback into proposals
• Overall theme: local area. Four sub-themes
–
–
–
–
Poole (including old town and quay)
Seascapes
Countryside
Wild flowers
• Colours associated with those themes used in side
rooms and carried through into four bays
• Artwork/photography –linked to themes
What We Achieved……
Our new Entrance
Looking at the Corridor….
The Welcome Desk
Use of Colour for Orientation
Next steps
• Continue fundraising
• Share our knowledge
Walk to Remember
August 2010
• Encourage other areas to implement dementia
friendly principles
• Raise awareness