The continued service development is led by a Dementia nurse specialist: Sister Yvonne Weldon.
Dementia care at Luton & Dunstable Hospital aims to provide a person centred approach to the person with Dementia when they attend the hospital. We also aim to offer support and relevant sign posting to the carers of people living with dementia.
Many nursing and clinical staff are now trained at an enhanced level and have the skills and knowledge required to manage the needs of the person living with Dementia. The Luton & Dunstable University hospital is proud to be a member of the National Dementia Action Alliance and is developing its services to meet national Dementia friendly requirements and standards.
We do not have a specific Dementia care ward; our aim is to treat individuals in the most appropriate ward/ department for their specific acute health need. We support ‘Johns Campaign’ which is a national campaign allowing the carers of the person with Dementia the right to stay with them. We cannot provide overnight accommodation but we are happy to make the carer as comfortable as possible for as long as they wish to stay at the bedside.
Support Offered:
We do not hold Dementia clinics at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. All memory and diagnostic clinics are held by community mental health service providers.
Should you have an outpatient clinic appointment you can phone ahead to request a first appointment slot to avoid any delays and possible waiting which can cause distress to the person with Dementia.
Alternatively make your needs known to the clinic clerk when booking into the clinic.
We will do our best to facilitate any special requests.
Links to tertiary centres:
Carers lounge – located in St Mary’s wing on the hospital site
Alzheimer’s society support services – email bedfordshireandluton@alzheimers.org.uk
Carers in Hertfordshire – contact@carersinherts.org.uk
Although on the 19 July 2021 regulations around the use of facemasks / coverings and social distancing will change across the country, at Bedfordshire Hospitals all COVID infection prevention control measures currently in place will remain the same.
The Trust has decided it is currently not safe to lift all restrictions at our hospitals.
Everyone attending our sites will still be required to wear a facemask (unless medically exempt), adhere to social distancing and attend your appointments alone especially in our Emergency Departments and Outpatients (exclusions apply to our paediatric patients and those requiring carer support)
Visiting is now permitted on most of our adult inpatient wards in a controlled manner. Appointments need to be pre-booked with ward staff.
Full details about attending our hospitals and visiting is available here.
