Replica bus stop installed to help patients living with dementia

9 August 2019

A bus stop is a surprise new addition to a corridor at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH).

The bus stop outside Ward 21 and Ward 22 is an innovative solution to patients living with dementia wandering off the wards.

Many patients on these two wards are elderly and living with forms of dementia, so therefore staff at the hospital have come up with the unusual solution of a bus stop mural at the entranceway.

The hope is to prove a familiar scene which will encourage confused patients to stop and wait, giving staff time to come and collect them.

Karen Breese, Dementia Clinical Specialist at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital, which runs RSH and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford, said: “When patients living with dementia become confused and agitated they tend to walk off the wards and will often look for something which looks familiar. The bus stop is just that.

“It can also be a great place for patients to escape the noise of the ward for a few moments and where they can sit and talk in environment with other patients or their families.”

Gary Francis, Ward Manager on Ward 21, said: “The work that we have been doing has been a huge team effort and has already made huge improvements to the way that we operate and the care that we can give to our patients. It is really encouraging to see the staff proactively volunteering to lead improvements and own projects – everyone is playing a part and together we are making a difference.

“These interventions are proven to prevent emotional escalation, and reduce anxiety, and are a great example of adapting what we do to meet the holistic needs of our patients.”