Young at HeartSalisbury Hospital

Creative time with older patients

April 2011: 2 x 45 mins sessions on 2 wardsMarch 2012: 6 x 45 mins sessions on 4 wards benefitting some 30 patients each week

Music, poetry, dance, storytelling and creative reminiscence sessions were delivered to patients by highly skilled arts professionals, either in day rooms or on the wards; scheduled in consultation with ward staff and artists

Aim: To improve patients’ experience of care in our hospital, with a focus on older patients, including those with confusion and dementia.

How? By delivering a programme of regular creative activities on the wards, which break through the boredom of a hospital day and raise patients’ spirits through stimulating, positive and creative interaction.

Scheduled sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays at same time each week to become part of ward routines.

Co-ordinator regularly visits wards to remind staff and keep them informed about sessions.

Meetings with ward staff to review the programme and monitoring forms completed after each session for feedback and evaluation.

Creative planning meetings for artists to share experiences and ideas.

Practicalities:

“Is it too cheeky to ask for an artist every day?”

Charge Nurse, Redlynch Ward

Chris Hurn and Victoria Gater playing African Xylophones on Redlynch ward Elevate concert series: April 2014

Outputs:

Since the start of the programme in April 2011, Young at Heart delivered 160 ward sessions in the first year,And 240 in the second year, with a total of 2,000 + patient contacts.Some patients took part in several sessions.

Extension into other hospitals:

Since June 2012 Young at Heart also takes place once a week in Shaftesbury Hospital, and since December 2012 in Sherborne Hospital – starting with one session a week and expanding to 2 sessions a week from April 2013

Rebecca Seymour working at Salisbury Hospital for Young at Heart

Rosie Mead playing at Sherborne Hospital, Young at Heart

Young at Heart ended in July 2013 and has now been replaced by a broader programme based on a similar concept, with more strings attached…

The new programme, entitled Elevate, successfully received funding from the Arts Council in July 2013 for 2 years.

Elevate is also part funded by Salisbury Hospital’s Stars Appeal and the League of Friends

Seckou Keita playing the Kora, Elevate concert series: December 2013

Expansion of creative sessions with artists on wards and day rooms:

Salisbury – 4 sessions, 3 days a week

Sherborne – 2 sessions per week

Shaftesbury – 1 session per week

10 artists delivering sessions: musicians, dancers, story tellers, creative reminiscence, poets

Tim Laycock on Farley Stroke Unit

Monthly concert series: top class musicians performing on wards and in public areas -eg hospital restaurant

Case studies: patients, staff and artist feedback collated every week

Evaluative study with Winchester University, Centre for Arts as Wellbeing

Ken Aiso: Elevate concert series: November 2013

Intern scheme: supporting new and established artists to work in Arts and health settings

Feedback

“You’ve bucked my wife up no end. I thought it was wonderful. The best medicine in the hospital!”

“Thank you so much for talking to me, you know my whole life history now and this morning I didn’t know who I was.”

“He was a right misery till you turned up”

Quite a few members of staff had a ‘jig’ as they came through.

J doesn’t even normally speak, but now she’s singing!

The things you bring our patients are really making a difference. What you do is wonderful. Thank you.

Salisbury Hospital Trust aspires to give every patient an outstanding experience