A new Enhanced Care and Support Team (ECaST) has launched at Royal Bolton Hospital in a huge boost to providing additional care and support for some of our most vulnerable patients.

The team offers therapies as a distraction technique to patients who might be at the risk of harm due to new confusion, cognitive decline, falls, and challenging behaviours.

In recent weeks they have already helped dozens of patients on our hospital wards, allowing colleagues to continue with their important work.

Speaking on the launch, Joy Redwood said:

This team is all about person-centred care. We’ll be working with those vulnerable patients who need additional support.

One of the key purposes of the team is to provide support to our colleagues too by freeing up their time to do other tasks.

From the first week we started it was clear to see the impact staff were having with patients and carers.

It’s so important that our carers feel as though their loved ones are being supported.

The dedicated and tailored care has seen relationships and trust develop between staff and patients.

Hayley Mason, Senior Practitioner on the team, said:

I’m passionate about dementia care. I’m bringing all of my skills into the ECaST team to help and support our patients and give them the best experience possible whilst they’re in the hospital.

You can see the difference in the patients from the day they come in to the day that they go home.

We can go and work with them with for just a small amount of time but really make a difference.

When they’re smiling when you walk away you know you’ve done your job.

The therapies on offer by the service include:

• Personal care assistance
• Doll comfort therapy
• Distraction therapy
• Hand massages
• Barber hair cuts
• Nail care
• Facial hair shaving
• Assistance with feeding
• Arts and crafts
• Therapeutic walking
• Reminiscence
• My Life computers for films and music therapy

Take a look at the video below to see their work in practice and the difference it’s making to our patients.