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Dementia cafes at Glasgow Royal Infirmary help families

Dementia cafes at Glasgow Royal Infirmary help families

Glasgow Times2 days ago

At Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI), the Dementia Cafe has become a valued part of care for older patients, offering a welcoming space for conversation, creativity, and companionship.
The scheme, part of a wider programme under NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has been celebrated as part of Dementia Awareness Week (June 2 to 8).
Read more: Free dementia support clinics retuning to Glasgow this month
The GRI recently celebrated Dementia Awareness Week (Image: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)
Rebecca Badhesha, senior charge nurse for Ward 30, said: "The hospital setting can often feel isolating.
"Through the Dementia Cafe, we aimed to combat loneliness and help our patients retain their skills and abilities through engaging activities."
Born from the Dementia Champions Programme, the cafe first took shape in 2016 when staff at GRI saw an opportunity to improve the hospital experience for patients with dementia.
Monthly sessions began in a boardroom setting, welcoming patients from the medical and older people's wards, along with relatives, carers, volunteers, and staff.
The aim was to create a more social, supportive environment for everyone affected by the condition.
Over time, the cafe has evolved to include themed sessions designed to spark conversation and engagement.
Reminiscence days, for example, have helped people recall past holidays including special visits from an ice cream van to spark childhood memories.
Meanwhile, partnerships with pet therapy charities have brought therapy dogs into the hospital, and gentle exercise sessions led by a ballet teacher have encouraged movement in a relaxed setting.
Reminiscence Days have helped patients evoke memories of past holidays by the seaside (Image: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde) There have also been silent discos, based on the Playlist for Life model, which used personalised music to help patients connect through song.
As well as arts and crafts sessions, paired with tea and cake, giving patients a chance to express themselves creatively.
One particular memory that Rebecca recalls from the cafe involved a gentleman who had not communicated for some time.
She said: "During a session, he sang to his daughter after a song triggered a nostalgic memory.
'That's the beauty of these sessions, they provide a sense of normality and connection that can be so hard to find in a hospital setting.'
Sessions like the Dementia Cafe were unfortunately paused during the Covid-19 pandemic, but since Rebecca took up her role in 2023, smaller gatherings have resumed on the wards.
Read more: Do you have a loved one affected by dementia? These free services could help
A larger Christmas event was also held, involving patients from several older people's services wards.
Rebecca said: "We're committed to re-establishing these joyful afternoons.
"There's so much healing power in community and connection, and we're excited to bring patients and families together."
Neil McCallum, North Sector Director for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, praised the initiative.
He said: "The Dementia Cafe is a fantastic initiative.
"It's a great way to bring people together within hospitals and foster friendship and connection.
"I'd like to thank all those involved in organising the cafés and those who attend."
The cafe also serves as a tribute to Alan Cook, a colleague who passed away in April 2024 and played a key role in launching the project.

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'Life, amidst death, has to continue': Molly Jong-Fast on her new book and watching her mother fade away
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You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. ‌ The inquest earlier evidence both from the psychiatric consultants - employed by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust - who were responsible for Rev'd Capt Watson's care in hospital and in the community. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust joint medical director Dr Michael Wright also gave evidence as to the issues experienced at work. Dr Wright said: "It's of immense concern to me and many others that a member of staff - one of our members of staff most valued by others - clearly at times did not feel that way. We have all reflected as to whether we did all we could to make her feel valued and [to show her] quite how important she was to our organisation. Procedures and processes were followed but does that mean there isn't anything we can learn from this? Absolutely not." He agreed that Revd Capt Watson was a "huge miss" and said work was ongoing to embed an NHS England "toolkit" designed to prevent NHS staff from dying due to suicide. The inquest had heard how her "exceptionally high standards" may have put herself under significant strain, while psychiatrists also referred to her experience of trauma during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. ‌ In court, Dr Watson queried why the trauma that her partner had experienced was not considered a greater factor in her diagnostic "formulation" while an inpatient - which instead focussed on "personality traits" and "emotionally unstable personality disorder". It was an element of this diagnosis was mentioned in a letter that one of Rev'd Capt Watson's consultants had not realised would be uploaded to her NHS App - and this caused her "significant distress" in the weeks prior to her death. However, Dr Faheem Ahmad said the opinion of staff at the inpatient ward during her months-long admission had been that Capt Watson's struggles were focussed around situations at her workplace and her "anger" at those. 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