Yahoo News New dementia facilities at Scunthorpe General Hospital thanks to huge donation from America
Dementia facilities across Scunthorpe General Hospital will be significantly improved thanks to a huge, but mysterious, donation left in a woman's will.
The late Mrs Elizabeth Fairchild lived in the USA at the time of her passing, and left a generous donation of £326,000 to benefit patients at the hospital, despite her connections to Scunthorpe currently being unknown.
After a number of suggestions were put forward by the Health Tree Foundation's (HTF) Board of Trustees, it was agreed that the money would benefit the most patients by being used to make wards within the hospital more dementia-friendly.
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Working closely with the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s (NLaG) Deputy Chief Nurse and Vulnerabilities team, the Health Tree Foundation refurbished bays and cubicles and placed nine dementia-friendly bed areas on each ward.
Beginning with Wards 16 and 17, other wards are set to receive the improvements in the near future.
Veronica Todd, Ward 17 Manager, said: “It’s fantastic we’ve been able to get these new facilities and they will make a massive difference to our patients. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive changes and benefits this will bring to the ward.”
Sue Liburd (MBE DL), HTF Trustee and NLaG Non-Executive Director, officially opened the Ward 17 facilities last week.
She said: “Coming into hospital can be anxiety-provoking for anyone, with dementia even more so. Dementia-friendly wards, such as this one, have been proven to improve health outcomes, reduce anxiety, distress and agitation.
"It helps patients to feel safe and secure, enabling them to engage more fully with their care and treatment. We owe a special thank you to the generous Fairchild legacy in enabling this project to happen."
Other improvements include pictures above the beds, adjustable lighting systems, matt flooring, dementia-friendly signage, Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) machines and 12-month funding for a dedicated dementia staff post.
Manchu Varghese, Clinical Sister for Ward 16, said: “It’s working very well and helping a lot of our dementia patients. The new faciltiies are near the nurse’s station, so they’re in a really good position.”
Jackie Fenwick, Lead Nurse for Vulnerabilities, said: “These new facilities will benefit our dementia patients in a number of ways. The pictures above the bed will help patients to recognise their own bedspace, and the dementia friendly-signage will help to orientate them to the environment. It’s all about familiarity and reducing anxiety.
“These facilities will also benefit patients with delirium and anyone with a cognitive impairment.”
