Our ambition is to create a dementia friendly hospital with wards and public areas that create a calm and caring environment for dementia patients.
Dementia affects the local population more than most as we serve an area with high life expectancy. Nearly half our patients at Kingston Hospital over 75 have dementia, double the national average. Patients with dementia often have multiple and complex needs and being in Hospital can be very unsettling and, for some, frightening.
At Kingston Hospital, we aim to provide excellent patient care to local people. With this in mind we have completely rethought the way we care for patients, as a result of which we have produced a new dementia strategy that is already improving the care of those with dementia. These improvements have received national recognition with a patient safety award but our journey does not stop there.
To ensure that we really put dementia at the heart of what we do, we have launched a major fundraising appeal. We want to raise £750,000 for an ambitious project to transform our existing elderly care wards to make them feel less clinical and be more welcoming and familiar for those with dementia. After the wards have been refurbished we will start work on a dedicated Dementia Centre which will provide support and information for those with dementia and their carer’s, with facilities for therapeutic and stimulating activities and a garden where people can relax in a calming atmosphere.
Tags: Charity Organization,Hospital/Clinic,Non-Profit Organization