The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust (QEH) Dementia Care Appeal is gathering momentum thanks to the generosity of the local community.
The Appeal, which launched in January, set out to improve the experience of its patients living with Dementia with an initial target of £40,000 to purchase equipment and activities to improve the experience of patients living with Dementia, and the Trust is delighted to have almost reached its halfway point in just five months.
The Trust is incredibly grateful to the everyone who has already donated to the Appeal and has already used some of the money raised to upgrade some Reminiscence Interactive Therapy and Activities (RITA) devices and purchase new systems to benefit patients. The devices enable staff and volunteers to engage patients in activities to make them feel more at ease during their hospital stay. The large 24” touch screen enables staff to connect patients with activities such as listening to music and poetry and taking part in interactive games which help to trigger conversations and memories which in turn improves their health and wellbeing.
Further funding will enable further devices and continue to purchase of a number of hand-picked activity packs, including games, reminiscence cards and jigsaw puzzles. The packs are designed to entertain, boost independence and support changing abilities.
With the continued support of the Appeal, the Trust can also continue to purchase Dementia-friendly calendar clocks for each bay of the hospital’s 18 wards. The calendar clocks can reduce confusion and support patients living with dementia to easily access to the day, date and time.
Individuals and organisations can sponsor specific items of their choice, by contacting the Trust’s Fundraising team on 01553 613373 or Laurence.Morlaas@qehkl.nhs.uk.
While the Appeal recognises that patients of all ages can experience Dementia, it also supports the delivery of the the Trust’s Corporate and Clinical strategies which outline its ambition to become a centre of excellence for caring for the elderly, including frailty, with the prediction that by 2030 there will be 57,000 more people aged over 75 than there were in 2015.
Alice Webster, Chief Nurse at QEH, said: “We are extremely grateful to all of our donors for supporting this important appeal, which will enable us to make significant improvements at QEH and make an important difference to the care and wellbeing of our patients living with Dementia.”
To donate to the Dementia Care Appeal, visit justgiving.com/campaign/QEHDementiaCareAppeal or send a cheque payable to ‘Dementia Care Appeal’, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, Gayton Road, King’s Lynn, PE30 4ET.
For further information, to sponsor specific items or support with fundraising activities, please contact QEH Fundraising Executive Laurence Morlaàs on 01553 613373 or laurence.morlaas@qehkl.nhs.uk.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Communications and Engagement Manager Charles Thomas, Charles.Thomas@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216.
To download the press release and photos, click here.
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