Dementia trolley benefiting our A&E patients
Our team in our A&E Department at the Royal Derby Hospital have recently introduced their Dementia Trolley.
The Dementia Trolley is used in the department when a patient who is severely distressed or disorientated is admitted to A&E.
The trolley, funded by the department, contains products that have been carefully chosen for therapeutic benefits for patients – they include games, quizzes, conversation prompts, objects that are tactile and nice to touch such as twiddle muffs and sensory toys, along with arts and drawing materials and a CD/DVD Player.
The trolleys will be used as part of distraction therapy by nurses, therapists and health care support workers in A&E, but can also be used by carers and families.
Evidence shows that if a person is engaged in meaningful activity and given mental stimulation whilst in hospital then they can be less agitated.
The Dementia Trolley is just one of a number of ways the hospital is supporting the needs of patients living with dementia whilst they are in hospital.