Last updated at 11:32, Thursday, 28 June 2012

DEMENTIA patients are set to move into a newly-revamped medical unit on July 9, following the completion of the second phase of a multi-million pound revamp of Barrow’s Dane Garth facility. Ahead of the official opening of the Ramsey Unit, EMMA PRESTON was given an exclusive tour

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SURROUNDED by artwork showing familiar faces of everyone from Laurel and Hardy and Peter Rabbit to Rupert Bear and Charlie Chaplin, a walk along the corridors in Dane Garth’s Ramsey Unit really is a stroll down memory lane.

It is especially fitting considering this facility is designed to house patients primarily with dementia, who stay in the unit while undergoing assessment for their condition.

The average stay for someone on this ward is around six weeks, more or less depending on the complexity of their condition.

And the unit is clearly designed to feel like a home from home, from the amply-sized en suite bedrooms, to the comfortable lounge area, beautiful courtyards filled with planters, canopies and seating areas. Other interesting features include a therapeutic sensory room and a 1960s-themed space, designed to give patients somewhere to reminisce.

And while meals are cooked and provided in a designated dining area, the ward features day-to-day equipment you would find around any ordinary home, so patients do not become too far removed from their normal lives.

Cheryl Bell, ward manager of the Ramsey Unit, said: “Six weeks is a long time, so we’ve looked at what we can do to continue an air of normality.

“One thing we’ve looked at when building this ward is maintaining patients’ existing skills, so we’ve got cookers and washing machines, so patients aren’t losing those.

“Staff can use the cookers to do therapeutic activities with patients, or for assessments to see what tasks they are able to carry out.”

These facilities are mere features of a multi-million pound revamp of Dane Garth, which stands in Furness General Hospital’s grounds.

The first phase of the project – the refurbishment of the old Beckside ward for patients with mental health problems - saw the renamed Dova Unit open in December. The completion of the Ramsey Unit, after 26 weeks, marks the end of a 72-week overhaul of Dane Garth – a project which has been in planning for more than two years. It is the first major revamp the facility has been given since opening in 1993.

Mrs Bell said: “It has changed drastically, really because things have moved on and we’ve moved with them.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve the best care for patients in a therapeutic environment, so it’s just moving with the times and taking notice of the research that is informing us.”

The sheer amount of expertise that has gone into the redesign of the unit is evident in the way every single feature and design element is geared towards treating dementia patients and helping them guide their way around the ward.

Most notable are the vintage artworks and black and white photos lining the walls, and pictures of the Beatles hung alongside Walt Disney’s best-known cartoons and characters from comic books.

Mrs Bell said: “It’s all about stimulating people’s memories, patients saying, ‘Oh, I watch that cartoon with my grandchildren’ or, ‘Oh, he was out of The Beano’.

“When we’re walking around with patients, our staff can point things out and say, ‘Do you remember that character, or this show?’ It’s all good cognitive therapy.”

As well as the visual stimulants, patients walking the halls of the Ramsey Unit will be encouraged to use special equipment dotted along the walls to experiment with touch and feel.

But it is not just the obvious features of the unit which are designed especially for dementia sufferers. Some of the subtle touches are invisible to the untrained eye, but everything from the colour of the walls and furniture, to the way the building is lit, to the materials used on the walls and floor, is all geared towards protecting and helping the ward’s patients.

Every light switch is labelled, wardrobes and cabinets are fronted with clear glass to help patients remember where things are, and every bedroom is flanked by a personal memory box which residents can fill with photos or keepsakes to remind them which room is theirs.

Tim Holliday, project manager, said: “We’ve done a lot of research with Sterling University, who are specialists in dementia care.

“There are lots of little features and techniques to help patients find where they are and make it easier to utilise the facilities.

“It’s all about orientation and recognising the environment.”

But it is not just the architects, planners and researchers who have had a hand in designing the new unit. Both the staff and patients set to move into the ward, who are based now at Gill Rise in Ulverston, were asked what they would like to see in the facility.

Mrs Bell said: “The staff are very, very experienced, they know what works and what doesn’t work, and Tim and the project team have really listened to everything we’ve said and taken it onboard.”

Mr Holliday added: “I think what we’ve got at the end of the day is the result of everybody’s commitment and hard work throughout the whole process.”

Mrs Bell is now looking forward to taking up residence in the state-of-the-art facility.

She said: “I’m extremely proud of this building and I know the staff are going to be.

“We really are just so happy with this – everyone’s worked together and we’ve got exactly what we wanted.”

First published at 13:46, Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk