Meadow Green ‘Outdoor Dementia Ward’

Project Information

Overview

“Meadow Green is a New Type of Dementia Ward.”

The staff of Meadow Ward at the New Haven Unit, Princess of Wales Hospital in Bromsgrove found that repeated inability to get outside has potential to cause frustration and agitation to patients. They approached DSA with an idea and two images. The proposed idea was to recreate ‘everyday’ environments that the patients would have typically frequented, for example, a corner shop or a ‘pottering shed’. The ward’s physical environment can be a significant trigger for patients as the environment limits independent engagement in meaningful activity.

Despite commonly being introduced into dementia care environments, Meadow Ward staff considered shop fronts to have the potential to frustrate the patients due to the repeated inability to access a shop which is ‘never open’. Therefore, having an accessible space that supports purposeful engagement in a familiar activity would provide a valuable non-pharmacological intervention. This would help in managing ‘behaviours which challenge’ with potential to reduce agitation, therefore increasing wellbeing and reducing the need to use PRN medication.

DSA worked closely with the Trust to develop a new outdoor environment that supported purposeful engagement via meaningful and familiar activities that would provide non-pharmacological intervention as an alternative on patients’ treatment plans.

Staff, especially Occupational Therapist Clare and Ward Manager Sarah were instrumental in guiding the design at every stage, creating a ‘new ward’ that includes a ‘corner shop’, ‘pottering shed’ and a tranquil area that patients and staff can easily enjoy. This not only provides a reminder of past times but allows patients greater freedom. Inspired by world-leading practice in the Netherlands to recreate ‘everyday’ environments, ‘Meadow Green’ points to improvements in UK-based dementia care.