Nenagh/Ballina-Killaloe Dementia Café
Our next guest at the Nenagh/Ballina-Killaloe Virtual Dementia Café on March 8 is Vimal Mathai, who is a Clinical Nurse Specialist with a post-graduation in dementia care from University of Limerick in 2020.
Vimal inspires colleagues about dementia care in an attempt to deliver high-quality person-centred care and he joins us to discuss two dementia friendly projects that he has initiated and brought to fruition - The Carer Passport and RemPods Interactive Train feature.
The Carer Passport
An acute hospital poses a challenging and distressing environment for a person living with dementia. Carers of patients with dementia are unable to get involved in the care of their loved ones during hospitalisation. Many carers of patients living with dementia currently struggle to have their role recognised by health and care professionals. This has a negative impact on the patient, but can also affect the carer’s own health and wellbeing, resulting in increased need for health service interventions.
Vimal has designed the Carer Passport that can be a card or a badge that is easily recognised by hospital staff, identifies the passport holder as a carer and includes the name of the patient. This ensures hospital staff are aware of their role as a carer and to involve and consult them in the care and treatment of their family member. Passports should include practical offers and financially assist carers during their hospital experience (e.g. concessions on the cost of hospital car parking, discounts in the canteen, flexible or extended visiting hours). These are useful ways to show carers they are acknowledged
and valued.
Benefits of carer passport
• Aid identification and support of carers.
• Raise awareness of caring.
• Make carers feel valued.
• Provide a short-cut so carers don’t have to repeatedly explain themselves.
• Care and health outcomes are improved through better co-ordination, understanding and
communication between hospital staff and carers (e.g. reduced falls, improved nutrition and hydration, smoother hospital discharge).
• Hospital staff can access the expertise and knowledge of carers to inform patient-centred care.
• Hospital staff are fully aware of hospital guidelines around carers, and can identify and engage family
and friends who are caring.
• Patients’ anxiety is eased when carers are involved and act as a buffer to the busy and often hectic hospital environment.
RemPods Interactive Train feature
RemPods was first established in 2009 by Richard Ernest in the UK. Richard was inspired to set up the innovative healthcare product when he formed a close relationship with an elderly
neighbour. RemPods has now expanded its product range to include interactive Wall Features as well as full decoration services within care homes, the NHS and private hospitals.
Please
use the link for additional information about the company https://www.rempods.co.uk/our-
story. Admission to an acute hospital can be both confusing and frightening for a person with dementia. Even though they are in need of hospital treatment, the stay might have negative impact on their physical, mental and cognitive abilities. Hospitalisation of people with
dementia often leads to an increase in behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, risk of poor outcomes, higher incidence of harm, and further cognitive decline. Consequences for people with dementia admitted to hospital include higher mortality rates, increased
likelihood of falls, functional decline, spatial disorientation, possible malnutrition and dehydration, increased reliance on caregivers, depression, and delirium.
Given the demographic shift in patient population, the workforce and the physical environment of hospitals need to adapt and become more responsive to the changing healthcare needs of the population. Researchers and practitioners have reported that the traditional designs of acute hospitals are not responsive to the specific needs of people with dementia. Studies reported that unclear signage, poor lighting, clutter, and a lack of space for family visits, and opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are common problems in hospital design.
Acute care environment influences staff attitudes about the care of people with dementia, leading to excessive monitoring of patients and less emphasis on meaningful interactions between staff and patients. RemPods transform clinical environments into therapeutic and reminiscent spaces, helping to change the quality of life for people living with dementia. The rail carriage feature takes patients with dementia to various familiar landscapes.
We are planning to install this feature in an identified location in Medical Ward 1 in Nenagh Hospital. Patients, especially elderly and the ones living with dementia will be encouraged and assisted to use the feature. We have already sorted all the required infrastructure except the rail feature. We hope it is one of our major steps towards a dementia friendly hospital ward.
If you would like to learn more about the Carer Passport and the RemPods, we would love you to join us at our next virtual dementia café on Tuesday, March 8 at 11am. Please email ballinakillaloe.dementiacafe@gmail.ie to receive the Zoom link.