04/01/2017 - Permalink

Dementia-friendly café opens at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Related topics: Community / Health / Partner organisations

News from our partners Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH)

A new café for people living with dementia has been set up by the Trust which runs Shropshire’s two acute hospitals.

The Precious Times café will operate at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford on the last Tuesday of every month, with the first session on 24 January from 2pm – 3.30pm.

There are also plans to start a similar café at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) in the future.

The café will be run in the Resource Room on Ward 15 at PRH.

Karen Breese, Dementia Clinical Specialist at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs the PRH and RSH, said:

“We are always looking at ways to improve care for people living with dementia. Part of this work is finding more ways for patients with dementia, and their carers, to network in the hospital rather than having to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“The Precious Times café is open to patients, carers and members of the public and is the chance for people to meet others living with dementia and talk about their experiences.”

The café will be staffed by volunteers, but there will also be a dementia support worker at each session.

Karen said:

“When people come to these sessions we will be on hand to give advice and guidance, and people will be able to share their experiences in our hospitals – good and bad – so that we can learn from them and continue to make improvements in the care we provide.”

Karen is now looking for more volunteers in order to open a second café at RSH.

She said:

“We have three volunteers helping us with the café at PRH. We have identified one volunteer who is prepared to help at RSH, but we need more in order to move the project forward.”

Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact Karen by emailing karen.breese@sath.nhs.uk

The Precious Times café is the latest initiative by SaTH to improve care for patients living with dementia.

Other initiatives include:

  • The Butterfly Scheme, which uses a butterfly symbol to quickly and discreetly identify patients with dementia or confusion.
  • The Carer’s Passport, encouraging carers to visit and stay with patients living with dementia in order to provide reassurance, support, and help with eating and drinking and other day-to-day activities.
  • This Is Me, a leaflet that people living with dementia can use to tell staff about their needs, preferences, likes, dislikes and interests.
  • Twiddlemuffs, thick hand muffs with bits and bobs attached to the inside and out which are designed to provide a stimulation activity for restless hands for patients with dementia.

 

Further information

  • The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is the main provider of acute hospital care for almost 500,000 people from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales. Patients come to us from Telford, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch, Newtown and Welshpool in Powys.
  • The Trust continues to work with its partners in health and social care in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales to develop patient-focused services that meet the needs of our communities.
  • If you have any feedback about local healthcare, independent support and signposting is available from Healthwatch Shropshire, Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin and Powys Community Health Council (CHC):

For more information contact David Burrows, Communications and Engagement Officer at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, on 01743 261378.