NEWS


Virtual reality to aid recovery


Salford residents living with dementia are taking part in what the Salford Clinical Commissioning Group describes as ‘a revolutionary virtual reality rehabilitation pilot’, led by a local brain injury charity.


Thanks to £500,000 of donations, BASIC, a specialist brain injury charity, has installed a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN). Salford CCG explained: “This virtual reality system puts people at the helm of life-size interactive games and activities, exposing them to physically challenging environments without putting them in any real danger.”


Using CAREN, BASIC has launched a 12- month pilot, Virtual Adventures, thanks to over £23,000 of CCG funding, focusing on helping both physically and mentally 30 Salford residents living with mild/moderate dementia. The long-term goal is to determine whether people living with dementia can benefit from virtual reality.


Salford is reportedly the UK’s first city to make the equipment – which is currently used by both the US and Israeli armies to aid the recovery of injured soldiers – publicly available. Wendy Edge, BASIC’s CEO, said: “I am


Views sought on


next inpatient focus The Design in Mental Health Network is keen both that Better Bedroom initiative continues to progress and develop, and to improve the service-user inpatient experience more widely; as reported in The Network’s January 2016 issue, it would thus like to hear from those in the mental healthcare sphere as to which room or area within a mental health unit they feel should be the next focus. As DIMHN chair, Jenny Gill, said in the


proud that we are able to introduce this ground- breaking piece of technology to Salford, and look forward to seeing it improve the lives of residents living with mild/moderate dementia. Be it a walk through a forest, or skiing down a mountain, people involved in the Virtual Adventures programme are aided in recovery and rehabilitation in a fun, stimulating, and, most importantly, a completely safe environment.” Dr Tom Tasker, Salford CCG’s clinical lead for mental health, said: “We were delighted to be in a position to fund this pivotal pilot scheme. Virtual Adventures enables the people involved in this pilot to exercise and receive rehabilitation in a totally safe and secure environment, where they can feel relaxed in their surroundings.”


‘Dementia-friendly’ toilet seats for Daisy Hill


Wallgate has worked closely with Bradford District Care Trust’s architect, DLA Freeman White, to introduce a new range of ‘dementia-friendly’ colours for anti-ligature fixed toilet seats for the award-winning new Dementia Assessment Unit centre at Daisy Hill House in Bradford.


The centre, which recently achieved the ‘Gold’ standard from the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) in its latest Dementia Design accreditations – the first hospital unit refurbishment to do so – caters for patients with complex mental health issues requiring calming and therapeutic environments. Considerable care was taken in choosing a contrasting colour for the washroom sanitaryware – which was installed during the refurbishment of the ground floor of an existing two- storey care building to provide a 22-bed dementia assessment unit. This is the first entire dementia assessment unit audited by the DSDC. Annie Pollock, former architect, and director of landscape architecture at the


DSDC, commented: “Wallgate and DLA Freeman White consulted with us in respect of the appropriateness of the grey toilet seat – which was also used in the recently completed intensive therapy unit at the same site, Lynfield Mount in Bradford – for general use in buildings for people with dementia. The DSDC has agreed with the proposal for wider use of such contrasting toilet seats on the basis of existing knowledge and research.” Tania Kosma, DLA Freeman White’s senior architect, added: “We were delighted with the engagement of Rob Kimber, Wallgate’s technical sales manager, with our request for a dementia-friendly colour for the integrated seat. Wallgate’s willingness to address the sector’s wider goal of delivering dementia-friendly environments is commendable. It also meant we developed a solid contrasting tone, well received by the Dementia Service Development Centre.”


January article: ‘Should we concentrate on the ward and look at sitting/dining rooms, the visitors’ room, or therapy space, or should we perhaps move out of the ward into the wider unit, and look at entrance areas, the café, or waiting spaces? We’d really like to hear your ideas.’ To indicate your preference, complete


the form on this page, or alternatively email Cath Lake (cath.lake@dimhn.org), who is now leading the Better Bedroom ‘workstream’ for DIMHN, with your thoughts.


Please help us to target the right area – we need responses by 31 May 2016.


DESIGN IN MENTAL HEALTH NETWORK ONGOING INPATIENT ACCOMMODATION WORK


WHERE NEXT? – tick the relevant box to indicate your preference


Sitting room Dining room Quiet lounge


Interview/therapy Visiting room Main entrance Café


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Other………...................................


To enter your suggestions, please either complete and return the form to:


Jenny Gill 40 Marcus Way Huddersfield HD3 3YA Email: jgill@dimhn.org


Or email: cath.lake@dimhn.org Closing date is 31 May 2016


THE NETWORK Ap r i l 2 016 7


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