King’s Mill Hospital Dementia Appeal receives £6,000 cash boost

Members of the hospital’s Voluntary Services department stumped up £6,000, with £3,000 coming from the group’s Daffodil Cafe and a further £3,000 Ward Trolley Service.

Volunteers at the hospital presented the cheque to Dr Steve Rutter, head of Geriatric Services at the Trust, by the volunteers at the hospital during a recent presentation.

Speaking after the event Jill Smallwood, vice-chairman of the volunteers, said: “The volunteers all support the Dementia Care Appeal wholeheartedly, especially as some have friends or relatives living with dementia.

“We are really pleased to be able to donate £6,000 to the appeal and thank all those who have purchased items in our sales and tombolas.”

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust aim to improve the quality of care offered to patients with dementia and has already introduced many improvements including memory boxes, a volunteer befriending scheme and dementia friendly signs to five inpatient wards.

As patients with dementia can be cared for on all adult wards, across a variety of specialities, the Trust wants provide every adult ward with dementia friendly signage, dementia friendly clocks visible from every bed space, highly contrasting raised toilet seats and brightly coloured cups/mugs to promote better hydration of people with dementia.

The use of way finding floor stickers to aid orientation on adult wards will also be trialled

Adam Hayward, practice development matron for dementia, said “We really hope the community will support this campaign.

“The population of Nottinghamshire is growing older and so the number of people living with dementia is rising.

“We want to offer high quality ‘dementia friendly’ care to patients admitted to our hospitals.

“These small, one off alterations to care environments will offer a large, long-lasting improvement to patients living with dementia, enabling them to remain orientated and as independent as possible whilst in hospital.”

If you require further details or would like to fundraise please telephone the customer services team at King’s Mill Hospital on 01623 672222 or Newark Hospital on 01636 685692.