This year, 3,500 diagnosed dementia patients will come through our doors – and every single one will need unique care.

Experiencing health issues as we get older is an inevitable part of life. And here at the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we pride ourselves on providing the very best care for you or your loved ones when that happens. We care for 175,000 patients on our wards and 900,000 people use our hospital services yearly. But there is an issue which is affecting the level of care we provide. In fact, it’s affecting every part off society. We are talking about dementia.

1 in 3 people will be affected by dementia in their lifetime.

For someone with dementia, being taken to hospital can be incredibly distressing. On top of the physical pain you’re suffering, there’s the confusion of not knowing where you are, or why you’re there. There are also a lot of other dementia symptoms that most people aren’t aware of. Things like hallucinations – for example a huge hole appearing in the floor that only you can see. Or experiencing pain from touching hot or cold things. These are symptoms that we know about, but we’re struggling to cope with at the moment. That’s why we are asking  you today to make a donation.

We need to ask if you’d consider donating to help us transform our hospitals to make them as dementia-friendly as they can be. That means creating calming environments for our patients and providing our dedicated team with the training needed to provide the unique care that every patient with dementia deserves.

‘Hi, my name is Aimee and I’m an Occupational Therapist at Frimley Park Hospital.’

‘Like every one of my colleagues, I’m committed to providing the best care possible to every single patient.  My nan had dementia, it was incredibly difficult and distressing for the whole family. Dementia care needs specialist training and specialist equipment – and I need to ask if you will help provide this for me and my colleagues across the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust hospitals.’

‘With your support, we can transform our wards with equipment like dementia clocks, which provide a constant visual reminder to patients about where they are. And you can help us train all our staff to provide pioneering care for patients who have dementia.’