From left to right: Dementia Support Workers Sally Potter, Claudia Rumford and Jamie Artherton-Howlett and Dementia Support Nurse, Jenny Woolgrove

 

Community joins together to knit lap blankets for NNUH patients

In alignment with the NNUH Dementia Information Fayre 2018, the Trust has been asking the community to offer their creative skills to support our patients who are living with dementia.

NNUH has been inundated with decorative knitted, crocheted and even woven lap blankets which have been given to patients, who are living with dementia, in our Older People’s Medicine Wards, in outpatient areas and in our Emergency Department.

This project, which has been organised by the NNUH Dementia Support team, has been a chance to bring the local community together, support patients during their stay in hospital and help spread dementia awareness.

Claudia Rumford, Dementia Support Worker said: “Last year, our bunting project was a big success, and this year we wanted to plan something similar in alignment with the event. The lap blankets provide many benefits for our patients who are living with dementia and who are staying in hospital.”

Benefits of the lap blankets include providing comfort and calm to patients, being a familiar object in an unfamiliar environment, added warmth, visually stimulating and a lovely gift for the patient to keep.

Jenny Woolgrove, Dementia Support Nurse added: “We’d like to thank all those who have taken part in the project for their time, generosity and their help in spreading dementia awareness.”

The NNUH Dementia Information Fayre, which is on Monday 14th May 2018, will be held in the East Atrium on the main hospital site and will be a chance for those living with dementia and their families and carers to see just how much dementia support is available in Norfolk and to receive advice on how to live well with dementia. The information stands will be starting at 10.00am, with the talks for the public running alongside from 11.30am.

Talks for the public will take place in the Benjamin Gooch Lecture Theatre and will include talks from the Dietitian, Speech and Language Therapist & Nurse NNUH Dementia Nutrition Group, Dr Jay Foden and the NNUH Palliative Care Team, Philip Clark and Emma McCann, NNUH Physiotherapists, Dr Sarah Housden, Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences at the UEA, Zena Aldridge, Senior Consultant Admiral Nurse and Daniel Schaffer, Alzheimer’s Society Services Manager for Norfolk.

There will be information stands from NNUH teams and a range of public and charity sector community providers including: Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Knitters and Stitchers, NNUH Dementia Support Team, NorseCare, Parkinsons UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Home Instead, Andrew Frederick Adult Support, Active Norfolk, Admiral Nurse Service, Independence Matters, NNUH Mental Health Liaison, Carers Matter Norfolk , Age UK Norwich, Wymondham Dementia Support Group, Silver Road Community Centre, Equal Lives, Norfolk Constabulary, NNUH Library, Healthwatch , Norfolk Young Carers Forum, Voluntary Norfolk, Alysham Care Trust, Age UK Norfolk, Sprowston Dementia Friendly Community and Café, NNUH Neurology Nursing plus many more.

There will be musical entertainment throughout the day, including a performance from the NNUH choir, with refreshments available in a dedicated pop-up café for the day which will be situated in the East Atrium level one.

Liz Yaxley, Dementia Services Manager at NNUH said: “We’re so excited to be hosting another dementia information fayre. This year we’ve got even more information stands and we’ve got an extra talk for the public too. We’re really lucky to be able to host talks from experts, who will be sharing information and advice on a whole range of topics to do with dementia.”