Comfort bags bring reassurance for hospital patients with dementia

Having to go into hospital is often a worrying time, and even more so in an emergency. For people with dementia and their carers this is often a stressful time.  

Thanks to funding from United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, resource bags are now available at Lincoln, Boston and Grantham hospitals to help patients with dementia cope during their time in the emergency departments.

The bags are the brainchild of Safeguarding and Vulnerability Nurse Specialist for Dementia Zoe Chapman and Patient Experience Manager Sharon Kidd, and contain items designed to ease anxiety and provide comfort and distraction for patients who may be distressed or overwhelmed.

Items within the bag includes sensory resources, activity materials and comforting objects selected with input from dementia leads, carers and patient representatives. 

Staff Nurse Sally Ruiz welcomed the new bags. She said: “The items will distract a patient and allow us to do our observations.  Sometimes it is difficult to take blood for patients with dementia, but to give them this bag and distract them from what we are doing will be less stressful for both patients, their carers and staff.”

Sharon Kidd explained why these bags are so important. She said: “Our new bags for patients with dementia are designed to create a calmer experience whilst they are waiting for treatment. We are thankful to United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity for funding this initiative and helping us further improve the experience of people living with dementia in our care.”

Charity Manager Ben Petts added: “As a charity we fund the extras that improve the lives of our patients whilst in the care of Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group.  Visiting an Emergency Department with its noise and activity must be daunting and overwhelming for people with dementia and it is good to know that we are making a real difference to their hospital experience.”

More information on the work of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity can be found on the charity website