Carers of dementia sufferers welcome at out of hours Doncaster wards

The Trust has developed ‘carer’s cards’ as part of John’s Campaign which allows carers of patients who have dementia access to the wards to sit, talk and spend time with their relative or friend, whenever the patient needs them.

This is a national campaign set up in memory of retired GP, Dr John Gerrard who lived with dementia. The family of Dr John Gerrard felt his time receiving treatment in hospital without being around people he knew contributed to his decline in health.

Dr Rod Kersh, Consultant Physician said: “The carer of a patient with dementia can provide insight into the specific needs of the patient and we regard friends, relatives and carers as part of the multi-disciplinary team.

“Carers help us gain a better understanding of our patient’s lives, enabling us to provide holistic, person-centred care. They are welcome at all times to support patients living with dementia or experiencing delirium.”

As well as the development of carer’s cards, the Trust has been working on other initiatives to ensure that the whole trust is ‘dementia friendly’, including ensuring all staff receive dementia training and improving dementia friendly environments.