Since launching our Dementia Appeal earlier this year, our supporters have now helped to raise over £40,000 for patients with Dementia.

The backing from local people will help patients with dementia to have a more enjoyable stay in hospital by funding even more live music performances across our hospitals for people to enjoy. 

These sessions provide a welcome distraction, a reason to get out of bed and a chance to engage with others. Musicians come onto the hospital wards and perform bay to bay and also perform in the day rooms which patients can come along to.

Patients can either sit and listen to the music or sing along and some even choose to take part by dancing, even patients who are bed bound will be able to hear the music and take part from their bed if they wanted to. But most importantly the sessions provide a means to keep patients mentally and physically active.

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“The music helps keep patients physically active as it’s associated with dance, and the music we play is from an era which they can remember.

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Some sessions are already being delivered in hospital, but due to limited funding they are only available on some wards and are simply not frequent enough, but thanks to the generosity of local people, this is beginning to change.

So far the music performances have been extremely successful with patients, Katie Ashton ward Matron said: “Research into music for patients with dementia is overwhelming and suggests it can trigger memories which have been long forgotten.

“The sessions we hold are run by musicians who really get patients involved. Even the patients who are perhaps bed bound can hear what’s going on.

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“The sessions not only benefit patients, but staff as well, because they have a massive impact on the ward as it makes it really fun and light-hearted.”

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“The music helps keep patients physically active as it’s associated with dance, and the music we play is from an era which they can remember.

“Sometimes before these sessions, patients will struggle to put a single sentence together and it’s just incredible to see the sudden recall of words and how they sing along to the songs.

“The sessions not only benefit patients, but staff as well, because they have a massive impact on the ward as it makes it really fun and light-hearted.”

Thanks to donations these live music performances will soon become accessible on more wards meaning patients with dementia will have an opportunity to socialise with both staff and patients.

Support patients living with dementia today

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