Practical strategies to help develop dementia-friendly hospital wards
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice    

Practical strategies to help develop dementia-friendly hospital wards

Lindsay Fitzpatrick Staff nurse, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland

Hospital stays can have significant negative effects for people with dementia. This article explores methods of improving dementia care in general hospital wards. Taking its starting point as the importance of person-centred care, it explores ways of improving the ward environment, meaningful activities, personal history work, involving carers, and identifying and treating delirium. Practical strategies are suggested in each of these areas. The article acknowledges that implementing change can be challenging in NHS settings where wards are understaffed, and time is precious. However, it encourages all nurses working in these settings to recognise the importance of person-centred care for people with dementia and to make even small changes that can have a significant effect.

Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2018.e982

Correspondence

Elllicam@googlemail.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Mairi-Louise Houldsworth and Julia Jones for their assistance, and June Jones for the use of her letter in the article

Received: 20 July 2017

Accepted: 18 October 2017

Published online: 22 February 2018

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