A project to help hospital patients with dementia

Project supported by…

Project team: Louise Jenkins, Ward Sister & Project Lead Karen Hollocks, Media & Communications Manager

Emma Lever, Senior Occupational TherapistCharlotte Day, HCA & Dementia Champion

Jill Legg, Public Representative

“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)

• 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)

Our corridor

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

• Encourage other areas to implement dementia friendly principles

• Raise awareness

Walk to Remember

August 2010