Our Care of the Elderly department provide a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of our local geriatric community.
We pride ourselves on our compassionate and professional approach and are always happy to discuss support for you or your loved ones, striving to make a positive impact on the lives of our elderly community.
Watford General Hospital - Enter through main entrance of the Main building at Watford General Hospital, turn left past reception to lifts. The Care of the Elderly wards are Oxhey, Letchmore, Aldenham, Croxley, Heronsgate, Sarrat, Ridge and Gade. They are all located on levels 3-5.
Email - westherts.
Our services include:
At our facility, we are proud to have a dedicated team of specialists committed to providing exceptional care for the elderly. Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. Here’s a brief introduction to our specialists:
We are committed to supporting people with dementia and their carers, to enable them to live well with dementia. We have a dedicated Dementia Specialist Practitioner who can advise and support staff, patients and carers.
Our ‘Care of the Elderly Champions’ can be found in most departments and wards, identified by their 'care of the elderly' badge. These are staff that have received additional training in dementia care.
The ‘This is Me’ booklet is a document that we ask the patient's family or carer to complete for us. The information gives a short biography of the person with dementia. It enables staff to use this information to support communication, distractions, understanding likes and dislikes whilst providing an insight into the person. This information can help staff better understand how they can care for a patient should the person become agitated or anxious in a more familiar and reassuring way. Find out more about 'This is Me' and download the booklet.
We ask people who are living with dementia to wear a blue clasp on their wrist band so hospital staff can easily recognise and support them.
An unfamiliar environment can be particularly difficult for a person with dementia, increasing their anxiety and difficulty in orientation of place and time. We encourage family members to bring in familiar, comforting items such as the person's own clothes, a favourite blanket or photos of loved ones.
There are several activities trolleys and boxes around the hospital for all patients to access. They include items such as reminiscence cards, felt tips pens, games, puzzles, dominos, and twiddle muffs. These activities are designed to increase mental stimulation for people with dementia, which aids recovery and improves their overall experience during their hospital stay. This helps staff and volunteers engage in meaningful activities with a person with dementia and we encourage carers to utilise the various equipment we have to create a more stimulating environment.
Our Caring for carers team are available to support people who are caring for our patients with dementia. They offer valuable support to those who care for someone living with dementia. Find out more about support for carers.