New recovery area for dementia patients at Victoria Hospital

The experience of coming round from an anaesthetic following an operation can be a frightening experience.

Local artist Karen Masters was commissioned to create a piece of art within the surgical recovery area which provides a calming distraction and reduces anxiety and distress for such patients.

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Karen worked alongside theatre staff and specialist dementia nurses to understand the needs of this patient group before creating a mural of a tranquil Scottish loch side and the associated trees, flowers, birds and animals.

Spanning across 48 square feet, it was created using high contrast painting techniques to ensure that it could benefit patients with visual impairments. Relaxing mood music and subtle wildlife sounds have also been added.

The project cost around £1100 to complete with the finance granted from Fife Health Board Endowment Fund.

Helen Buchanan, director of nursing, said: “Undergoing surgery can be a worrying time for any of us, and for those with dementia or cognitive impairment it can be particularly distressing.

“We know that distress and anxiety can have a really detrimental effect on the overall health of people with dementia, and developments such as our new recovery area assist us to minimise the distress experienced by such patients, and indeed their families and loved ones.

“Importantly, this new development is about more than the merely the environment we provide for patients – it is about our caring approach and ensuring that treatment we offer is not only therapeutic but puts the holistic needs of the person at the core of everything we do.“