BRADFORD Hospitals’ Charity is using Dementia Action Week (May 20-16) to call on the community to help fund items and equipment which will bring comfort to patients with the condition.

Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK, but last year in Bradford alone, more than 3,600 people with dementia required a stay in hospital – that is nine admissions every day.

Roshanne Fox, dementia lead at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has created an Amazon Wish List of items which will provide comfort and reassurance to patients with dementia. The list, which contains items such as jigsaws, games, reminiscence packs and books about the history of Bradford, will also help create opportunities for communication.

Roshanne said: “What might seem like just a small jigsaw can often provide people in hospital with some reassurance, allow for meaningful conversations to develop and relationships between hospital staff and patients to be enriched. It helps us get to know our patients and reduce loneliness and isolation.”

The items will be placed in large distraction boxes, which will go to all hospital wards in Bradford Royal Infirmary, St Luke’s Hospital and to community hospitals.

“We want to provide the very best for our patients with dementia,” said Roshanne.

“We hope that the distraction boxes will have such a positive effect that they even help speed up recovery. At the very least our patients will feel comforted and reassured, which is a real positive.”

Hayley Collis, head of fundraising for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity, said: “We are proud to have supported a number of projects around our hospitals which enhance and improve the experience of patients with dementia. In the new hospital wing, we funded items such as dementia friendly clocks and crockery, reminiscence artwork and a room for carers to stay overnight. This goes a long way to providing reassurance to people with dementia.

Access the Amazon Wish List by clicking

here

Alternatively, if you wish to make a donation to Bradford Hospitals’ Charity’s dementia fund, please, click

here

and state you wish to donate to the dementia fund.

Contact the Bradford Hospitals’ Charity on 01274 274809 or email charity@bthft.nhs.uk

Bradford Teaching Hospitals will be hosting a number of activities and information stands at its hospitals throughout Dementia Action Week, which runs from May 20 to 26.