Improvements made to the Emergency Department for dementia patients and their carers
We listened to local carers, heard them, then worked with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) who made improvements to better the experience of visiting Sunderland Royal Hospital for local dementia patients and their carers.
During an engagement session at the Essence Service male carer’s group, the gentlemen told us about some of the negative experiences they had when accompanying their wives, who are living with dementia, to the Emergency Department (ED) at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Through our connections within the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, of which the Sunderland Royal Hospital is part, we were able to highlight these issues to Chris Cairns, Nurse Consultant Older Persons. Chris was sorry to hear about these experiences and accepted an invitation to accompany one of our Engagement Officers, to the men’s group to hear their experiences firsthand, which included; long waits in the department with their wives often being unoccupied and distressed in the busy waiting areas and lack of appropriate changing facilities and assistance with this.
Working together we listened and acted upon what the gentlemen said, with Chris facilitating the following improvements in the department:
- A dedicated, single occupancy room is now available, offering a quiet space for dementia patients to wait in the department. It has comfortable seating, is beautifully and calmly decorated, and has a cupboard containing games and activities to keep people occupied and distracted while they wait. The room is close to the main ED clinical areas and has a buzzer fitted to alert staff should assistance be required.
- Dedicated male and female toilet facilities, which are locked, and carers will be given a key to access them, while they are waiting in the designated room with their loved ones.
- Chris is going to facilitate dementia training over the coming months to all ED staff, to raise awareness of the condition and how best to support dementia patients and their carers whilst in the department.
- A trolley containing supplies of various incontinence products is to be situated at the ED triage desk for people to access when and if required.
- A selection of posters will be displayed in the department to tell people to highlight to staff if they would like to access the room or any of the other additions to the department and signage leading people back to the dedicated waiting area when leaving the toilet.
What difference has it made?
We ensured that the feedback we received was heard by the right professional, from the right department, who could respond and make a difference to future experiences at the Emergency Department at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
Local people who experience dementia and their carers now have access to a pleasant, quiet space in the ED department to wait for treatment at times when they are most vulnerable. The addition of an activities cupboard will help occupy the patient, calming them and helping the, sometimes long waiting times, pass quicker. The availability of incontinence products will support the patients to have a comfortable and dignified wait in the department and prevent the risk of skin damage and infection. The dedicated toilet facilities will support carers and staff members to assist patients, with plenty of space and without the pressure of other patients waiting to use the facilities.
The addition of dementia training for all ED staff will support both patients and carers visiting the department as staff will have a better understanding of the condition and the additional needs of the patients and their carers.
The addition of posters and signage will allow patients and their carers to know what assistance is available to them when visiting the department to ensure they have a more pleasant experience.
