Published on: 23 July 2019
Special wristbands are being offered to South Tyneside District Hospital patients with memory problems to help staff to give them the complete care they need.
The wristbands, which are pink with a blue butterfly, are predominantly for patients living with dementia and those with delirium. The colours were chosen by a patient in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease because, he said, they made him feel happy. The bands have already proved a success at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
June Lawson, Rehabilitation and Elderly Medicine Matron with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, explained: “This is a simple idea but it is a very effective way of helping us to improve patient care and experience.
“If, in the course of their assessment after coming in to our hospitals, we establish that a patient has memory problems, we offer them a wristband. This provides all staff, clinical and non-clinical, with a visible reminder that the person may need extra care and attention. For example, if someone is walking around looking lost and a staff member notices the wristband, they then know that the person may require some assistance.”
Mrs Lawson added: “The wristbands aren’t mandatory but we find that relatives and carers love them as they provide them with reassurance that our staff are fully aware of their loved one’s needs and will respond with additional patience and understanding.”
