Patients with dementia at Lincolnshire’s hospitals, including Johnson Hospital in Spalding, are to be offered a wristband to help staff identify their condition.
The ‘Forget Me Not’ wristbands feature that flower and will aim to act as an additional visual prompt to help hospital staff to recognise that someone may need extra help with communication or orientation around the department.
The wristband will be offered during the initial triage process when a person arrives in hospital and is identified as having a formal dementia diagnosis, or where there may be concerns about confusion.
Zoe Chapman, safeguarding and vulnerabilities nurse specialist for dementia for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG), said: “This initiative was the idea of Becky Philpott, one of our Patient Flow Coordinators at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, and we have supported to make it a reality.
“We know that coming into hospital for any reason can be a cause of anxiety, especially if you’re unwell and needing help quickly from our urgent and emergency care services. Becky recognised that we could improve the support for people who may be living with memory loss or confusion if we could better identify their needs quickly and easily.
“The wristband acts as a visual reminder about the additional needs a person may have, no matter who they are talking to within our teams, to give them a better experience during their visit.”
