Nurses at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals are using boxes filled with items from the past to stimulate and comfort patients with dementia. Introduced to promote reminiscence and prompt memories, the ‘rummage boxes’ contain playing cards, dolls, puzzles and books.
Hospital staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal in Haywards Heath are also collecting photographs for inclusion in the boxes, asking local people to help by donating old pictures of Brighton and Hove, Haywards Heath and Mid Sussex.
“We have been using the rummage boxes on some of our elderly care wards for several weeks now and they have had an amazing impact, making agitated patients with dementia much less distressed,” says Practice Development Nurse Claire Martin.
“Any donated photographs from members of the public will be gratefully received, particularly those showing scenes and landmarks in Brighton and Hove, Haywards Heath and the surrounding areas, plus images of holidays, celebrations, transport, occupations, school days and clothes from the1900s until the present day,” explains Claire.
Photograph prints can be sent to: Claire Martin, Practice Development Nurse, BSUH, Room 150, Downsmere, Princess Royal Hospital, Lewes Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 4EX. Scanned digital copies of originals can be emailed to Claire at claire.martin@bsuh.nhs.uk
For more information
Contact Martha Robinson, Communications Manager on 01273 664757.
