4 January 2017

A new café for people living with dementia has been set up by the Trust which runs Shropshire’s two acute hospitals.

Karen Breese

The Precious Times café will operate at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford on the last Tuesday of every month, with the first session on 24 January from 2pm – 3.30pm.

There are also plans to start a similar café at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) in the future.

The café will be run in the Resource Room on Ward 15 at PRH.

Karen Breese, Dementia Clinical Specialist at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs the PRH and RSH, said: “We are always looking at ways to improve care for people living with dementia. Part of this work is finding more ways for patients with dementia, and their carers, to network in the hospital rather than having to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“The Precious Times café is open to patients, carers and members of the public and is the chance for people to meet others living with dementia and talk about their experiences.”

The café will be staffed by volunteers, but there will also be a dementia support worker at each session.

Karen said: “When people come to these sessions we will be on hand to give advice and guidance, and people will be able to share their experiences in our hospitals – good and bad – so that we can learn from them and continue to make improvements in the care we provide.”

Karen is now looking for more volunteers in order to open a second café at RSH.

She said: “We have three volunteers helping us with the café at PRH. We have identified one volunteer who is prepared to help at RSH, but we need more in order to move the project forward.”

Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact Karen by emailing karen.breese@sath.nhs.uk

The Precious Times café is the latest initiative by SaTH to improve care for patients living with dementia.

Other initiatives include:

  • The Butterfly Scheme, which uses a butterfly symbol to quickly and discreetly identify patients with dementia or confusion.
  • The Carer’s Passport, encouraging carers to visit and stay with patients living with dementia in order to provide reassurance, support, and help with eating and drinking and other day-to-day activities.
  • This Is Me, a leaflet that people living with dementia can use to tell staff about their needs, preferences, likes, dislikes and interests.
  • Twiddlemuffs, thick hand muffs with bits and bobs attached to the inside and out which are designed to provide a stimulation activity for restless hands for patients with dementia.