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Dementia Patients in Hospitals

Hospitals are intrinsically geared towards fast and effective communication, assuming that patients will be able to express their wishes. However, for a person with dementia, a hospital environment can be a frightening and bewildering experience with unfamiliar surroundings.

For this reason, it is important that a safe and secure environment is created to aid the movement and treatment of patients and visitors with dementia whilst in the hospital environment.

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. It describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language*  

How can the environment help someone with dementia in hospital?

Good design can help enormously in making it easier for a person with dementia to interpret and navigate a hospital environment in safety.

The use of colour and contrast, enabling signage, wayfinding cues and orientation aids can all be used in different ways to assist in this.

Improving outcomes for dementia patients in hospital 

To help, Find has developed a range of products that can help improve the hospital setting and achieve a number of positive outcomes, such as:

  • 50% reduction in incontinence
  • 60% reduction in agitation and aggression
  • 70% reduction in slips, trips and falls

Improving outcomes for the NHS

  • a cost saving due to a reduction in drug and medication use (e.g. avoidable prescribing of antibiotics, painkillers and laxatives, as well as anti-psychotic dugs)
  • a cost saving due to improved continence (staff time, savings, laundry, incontinence products)
  • Fewer violent incidents and more patient independence resulting in improved staff moral, less absence and better attrition 
  • reduced length of stray due to the prevention of avoidable accidents and complications 
  • fewer readmissions as levels of wellbeing are maintained / improved at initial time of discharge

*(source Alzheimer’s Society link https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/what-dementia)

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