A west Wales charity has funded more than £60,000 for interactive arts activities for dementia inpatients. Hywel Dda Health Charities has provided the funding - which has come from donations from the public - to support 364 sessions across seven settings over two years. These sessions will reach more than 2,500 patients with dementia in older adult mental health wards and adult frailty wards in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.
The sessions will be led by professional artists and musicians and will be supervised by clinical staff from each ward. A wide variety of arts sessions have been chosen with different artists and musicians delivering activities such as singing, movement, clay making, silk painting, pom pom making, textiles, and printmaking. The two-year programme is a continuation of the pilot that had a positive impact on patient experience, mood, and anxiety levels.
Liz Carroll, director of mental health and learning disabilities, said: "We are so grateful that generous donations from our local communities have enabled us to fund the two-year arts programme. "The pilot programme showcased significant potential for improving the experience and outcomes for dementia inpatients. "This was evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from all people who have taken part in arts activities.
" Sharon Daniel, interim executive director of nursing, quality and patient experience, added: "Providing arts sessions such as these really makes a difference: it gi.
