Alzheimer's and environment

Another component of Launch International is using the arts within a healthcare environment to ease patient experience and the workload of the medical staff, by transforming austere medical enviornments into places of healing.

There has been much press recently about the care of elderly people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. While in Ireland I was part of a project that addressed challenging, and sometimes violent behaviour of patients, while at the same time easing the workload of clinical staff due to the constant attention required to care for this population. In addition, the medical units became reminders of the past with ambient lighting, fake fireplaces and a view created by a mural montage of surrounding nature.

The project was undertaken by Mount Carmel Hospital in Clonakilty County Cork, and saw the transformation medical wards into bedrooms, living rooms, a kitchen and garden. The medical units were renamed Saoirse which in the Irish language means Freedom, in the hopes of encouraging a more liberal approach to the regimental care, and in shifting attitudes of staff and family visitors. The women were encouraged to do what they had traditionally done such as wash dishes, mend trousers, and sit around a "fire" drinking tea and chatting. The men were encouraged to dress when they wanted rather than the required practice of 9 a.m.  One male patient was allowed to sleep with his clothes on as he had been a farmer when he was younger and had never married. In several instances, once moved on Saoirse, there was a marked difference in patients who had been highly aggressive.

Rather than write more about it, let me show you some before and after shots . . . .

Here is the hallway where the patients would walk up and down - in some cases, try to escape

Here is the hallway after the transformation into a series of shop windows

The patient is calm and comforted as she and nurse are seemingly out for a walk in the neighbourhood.

Here is a standard six bed room

During the project a similar six bed room is transformed into a kitchen where Alzheimer's patients can wash up after dinner

 Or into a living room where they can sit and chat by the fire

The result was less medication and happier staff and calmer patients.