Charitable donations fund £60,000 arts programme for dementia patients

Pictured: Hywel Dda staff with craftwork made by patients taking part in arts activities.

Thanks to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities has provided over £60,000 of funding to support interactive arts activities for inpatients with dementia across Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The funding will provide 364 sessions across seven settings over two years. These sessions will reach over 2,500 patients with dementia in Older Adult Mental Health Wards and Adult Frailty Wards in the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The sessions will be led by professional artists and musicians and will be supervised by clinical staff from each ward. A wide variety of arts sessions have been chosen with different artists and musicians delivering activities such as singing, movement, clay making, silk painting, pom pom making, textiles and printmaking.

The two-year programme is a continuation of a successful pilot which has had a positive impact on patient experience, mood and anxiety levels.

Liz Carroll, Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, said: “We are so grateful that generous donations from our local communities have enabled us to fund the two-year arts programme.

“The pilot programme showcased significant potential for improving the experience and outcomes for dementia inpatients. This was evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from all people who have taken part in arts activities.”

Sharon Daniel, Interim Executive Director of Nursing, Quality & Patient Experience, added: “Providing arts sessions such as these really makes a difference: it gives patients distraction or time away from the ward environment, reduces loneliness and boredom, increases social interaction, and leaves patients noticeably happier and less agitated. It also has a positive impact on staff and patients’ families.

“We are really excited about delivering the two-year programme and enhancing the experiences of thousands of patients across the health board.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”