A group of current and former nurses is helping improve the lives of patients with dementia and their families by donating memorabilia to a ward at Torbay Hospital which is run by Torbay and South Devon and NHS Foundation Trust.
Torbay Hospital Nurses’ League handed over a catalogue of 1940s and ‘50s film publicity photographs and a record player with recordings from the same era to the hospital’s Cheetham Hill Ward.
Olive Ritchie, Health Care Assistant on Cheetham Hill Ward, said: “These items are a great addition to the day room. We hope the photographs will stimulate the memories of people from the Forties and Fifties and perhaps they will use the record player and sing along to the songs from the same time with their families and carers.
“The idea is that patients will get up from bed or from sitting in the ward by their beds and their memories stirred by the memorabilia. It will give them more of a sense of time passing and help them psychologically to be motivated to get better quicker than doing nothing.”
Jane Watson, Torbay Hospital Nurses’ League President, said: “We are pleased to have presented these items for use in the day room where we hope they will brighten the lives of patients. Although they are aimed at everyone, we would like to think patients with dementia will especially benefit.”
Jennifer Chalk, Sister, Cheetham Hill Ward, said: “All our staff and patients are very grateful to the Nurses’ League for their generous donation to continue improving the ward for all patients, especially for those with dementia.”
The Nurses’ League is open to all nurses and midwives who trained at Torbay Hospital or who have worked for at least two years at the Trust. The aims are to provide an on-going social network and support for members and to create a union between past and present nurses.
Anyone interested in joining can contact branch secretary Elaine Biden by email torbayhospitalnursesleague@hotmail.com
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