Passenger transport company help Doncaster Royal Infirmary dementia patients

SYPTE has provided Doncaster Royal Infirmary’s dementia ward with a special bus stop flag to provide reassurance and familiarity to patients living with the condition.

“Our Contact Centre received a call from one of the hospital’s nurses requesting if it was possible for SYPTE to provide the hospital with a bus stop flag to display on the Mallard ward, as it has been proven that creating a more familiar environment for patients living with dementia can help them feel more relaxed”, said director of Customer Services at SYPTE, Tim Taylor.

“We’ve donated bus stop flags to care homes in the past, so we were delighted when Doncaster Royal Infirmary asked if we could provide them with a brand-new bus stop flag. Going into hospital for any patient can be stressful but for people living with dementia it can be even more so as they are out of their usual routine and in unfamiliar surroundings. We hope our donation helps support the hospital in its bid to reduce anxiety for patients. From our visit to the hospital, it is clear to see that the ward staff are going the extra mile to help patients feel comfortable and relaxed”.

The bus stop flag, can be easily identified as one of SYPTE’s bus stops, but includes the number for Traveline instead of the location.

“As the hospital serves many communities we didn’t want to focus on just one place. If any patients call the Traveline number they will be greeted with a friendly and supportive response as all our Traveline employees undergo Safer Places training, which covers topics including how to handle calls from dementia patients”, explained Tim.

Lead dementia nurse at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Beth Cotton, said the ward was grateful to SYPTE for creating the bhus stop flag and praised its calming and positive effect and she added: “Hospitals can be a disorientating, and often frightening, place for people living with dementia. Alongside being unwell, patients face an unfamiliar environment whilst being separated from their home and loved ones. To aid with this, our Trust has many person-centred and bespoke interventions to help patients living with dementia feel more comfortable while they are here.”