People with dementia
On the face of it it seems a brilliant idea and I would be very interested in finding out what our readers thought about the memory wall! You may also find this interview with Dr Nori Graham who is Medical Director of Red and Yellow Care, Vice President of Alzheimer’s Disease International and The Alzheimer’s Society a useful introduction to the whole area of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The wall contains a selection of old photographs which have been donated by the Leicester Mercury is at Glenfield Hospital’s ward 33a. The pictures are on display for patients’ enjoyment as they move around the cardiology ward.
Vanessa Struthers, who is ward clerk for Leicester’s Hospitals for 23 years, came up with the idea. She said: “It started off with old photos of Leicestershire but as the collection has grown, we’ve included iconic photos from key historical events, such as the Queen’s visit to Leicester.”
Struthers worked with people on the ward to create the display, which aims to help those admitted to the ward. She commented : “We thought it was important that our patients chose the pictures, so the wall is made up of their memories. It’s really fascinating to see all these wonderful pictures on display in one single place.”
Thanks to a kind donation from the family of a former patient, the team at Glenfield have also been able to purchase a memory box. It contains various items from days gone by, which are recognisable through touch or smell, such as carbolic soap, moth balls and a dolly peg.
Using memory boxes with elderly patients has been shown to help stimulate and focus their minds as they have very vivid memories of their past, but can struggle to retain short term memories due to Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Struthers said : “We have had a fantastic response to both the memory wall and the box. We are so grateful for the donations which have enabled us to provide these for our patients.”