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Dementia tea parties at NUH improve patients' oral intake
At a glance:
- Research shows that putting a dementia patient in a relaxed setting can improve their oral intake and improves their independence.
- The monthly tea parties are funded by Nottingham Hospitals’ Charity
- Run by the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC)
Thanks to funding from Nottingham Hospitals’ Charity, a monthly tea party takes place on the Health Care for Older Patients ward (HCOP) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust (NUH) for patients and carers to attend.
The afternoon teas are run by the Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) because research shows that providing a relaxed, social environment can improve a person’s independence and increase their desire to eat and drink.
Jane Stockwell, Speech and Language Therapist at QMC, said: “Speech and language therapists work with people who have eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties and patients with dementia often struggle with this.”
“The research shows that putting a dementia patient in a relaxed setting can improve their oral intake which then improves their recovery and independence.”
Jane and the SLT team, who organise the tea parties, run workshops prior to the monthly parties for healthcare assistants and nursing students to offer them support and teaching strategies for patients with dementia.
Jane said: “It can be quite challenging to get someone to eat or drink so giving staff support and advice is really helpful”
Ashu “Sunny” Bali, is the activity coordinator on the HCOP ward B47 at QMC and said:
“I think it’s brought a bit of joy to time in hospital which can be difficult a lot of the time, and you see people eating, drinking, socialising and people will say it doesn’t feel like they’re in hospital. It’s a bit of a sanctuary. A bit of calm.”
Stuart Hollingsworth is currently a patient on the ward and he and his wife of 58 years, Sandra, got to enjoy their first tea party together. Sandra said:
“It’s been a real struggle since his dementia diagnosis in 2013. It has been quite a scary time for both of us. I’ve told him he’s not going anywhere yet!”
“I am fighting so hard for him. I’m not going to give up and he’s coming home!”
“I think the team here on ward B47 are brilliant. Never experienced such a brilliant team who work together. We’ve got a lot to be thankful for.”
For now the tea parties will continue every month on ward B47 at QMC, thanks to the charity securing funding for at least another 12 months.
Michelle Dorman, Senior Community Fundraising Manager at Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re so pleased we have been able to fund another year of Dementia friendly tea parties at the QMC.”
“Whilst the primary beneficiary of the tea parties is the patient, they also provide a learning environment for staff and carers and enable them to observe strategies and working practices that might be useful in their day-to-day interactions with dementia patients.”