Dementia can affect memory, reasoning, and communication, making hospital stays particularly challenging.
Patients with dementia may struggle with the unfamiliar environment, leading to increased confusion, agitation, anxiety, and restlessness. This can impact their ability to engage with staff and follow medical instructions.
Delirium, a sudden change in mental state, can also occur during hospitalisation. It may cause confusion, memory loss, and difficulty understanding, and is often triggered by factors such as pain, infection, surgery, dehydration, or a new environment.
Support from a dedicated dementia and delirium team, including:
A lead nurse for dementia and delirium
Dementia practitioners
Availability Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4pm, to support: patients living with dementia, family carers, and ward staff caring for patients with dementia
Support for patients experiencing delirium
Access to a delirium discharge nurse within the team
Advice and support in complex situations, such as:
When a person with dementia is struggling to adjust to the hospital environment
When patients display behaviours that challenge
Signposting and guidance for family carers
Please note, we may not be able to visit every person with dementia. Ward and department staff are trained to provide routine care and make reasonable adjustments.
The Patient Profile helps us get to know you better. It supports our staff in providing personalised care, especially for people living with dementia who may find it difficult to communicate their needs.
By sharing preferences such as favourite foods, drinks, routines, and interests, we can tailor care to what matters most to you.
You can find the Patient Profile in your Carers Pack. It can be completed:
This pack is available to any family carer of someone who is staying in hospital. If it has not yet been given to you, please ask the staff on the ward to provide one for you. It includes a badge to identify you as a carer as well as information on car parking and café discounts, open visiting, patient profile, clinical helpline and carers support in the community.
On the patient boards located behind each inpatient bed, you’ll find a series of symbols or ‘identifiers’. The forget-me-not symbol should be ticked for any patient with a dementia diagnosis. While we recognise that every person’s experience of dementia is unique, this visual cue helps ensure that all staff – including those who may not access medical notes, such as porters – are aware that the individual may benefit from extra time, support, or reasonable adjustments during their care.
Our Trust's My WiSH Charity has supported a range of dementia-friendly initiatives through its dedicated Forget-Me-Not Appeal fund. One such project is the Memory Walk, located along the corridor leading to wards G3, G4, and G5. It features photos of local landmarks and nostalgic items from the 1950s to the 1980s. This walk down memory lane is enjoyed by patients, visitors, and staff alike.
My WiSH has also funded meaningful activities on the wards to support wellbeing, including CD players, colouring materials, puzzles, dominoes, and playing cards. Plans are also underway to carry out further environmental adaptations on ward G4 – our Department of Medicine for the Elderly – to help create a more dementia-friendly space.
Support in the community
Shaftsbury are a registered charity, funded locally to provide support for people with memory concerns and dementia and for those caring for family or friends in Suffolk. Trained memory and dementia advisors will listen, answer your questions and provide you with tailored information to meet your needs, either on the phone or at a home visit.
Whether you have recently found yourself in a caring role or have been an unpaid family carer for a while, Suffolk Family Carers can offer advice and guidance, workshops and courses, a listening ear, support in hospitals and helping you find time for yourself.
The DIST is available to patients who are struggling with dementia and functional mental health problems usually over 75 years of age but not exclusive. The team provides 4 Hour Urgent and 120 hour assessments for those patients requiring intensive support from mental health services. Self referrals or queries can be made through DISTwestsuffolk@nsft.nhs.uk or 01284 719818
MATS supportthe adult population (all ages) of West Suffolk with symptoms of mild to moderate dementia who have not already received a diagnosis. Referrals are requested by the GP, so please alert them if you have concerns yourself or for a loved one. This form may support you to communicate concerns to your GP: Checklist for possible dementia symptoms
For your information, more advanced presentations of dementia may be diagnosed by the GP or hospital. There is a current wait list, however in these months Dementia Connect will support you.
A specialist dementia nursing charity that provides free support and advice for anyone affected by dementia. Trained Admiral Nurses are available every day of the week on their helpline: 08008886678 Also there are many helpful fact sheets available on their website about everything from nutrition to financial support.
A charity which supports people with dementia and their loved ones. There are lots of helpful fact sheets from making your home dementia friendly to continence advice. They also have an online community free to join.
