‘Five things about me’ forms designed to reassure dementia patients

'It's just little nuggets of information, that are actually really powerful'

A new form, which has been trialled successfully on the frailty unit at Noble's Hospital, will soon be getting rolled out further.

It's been created by Sonia Blake - Manx Care's Day Centre Services Manager - for use across all clinical settings, particularly those that are 'time poor', like hospital wards.

The document is the brainchild of her experience when her mum was in hospital with the later stages of Alzheimer's, and her desire for staff to know what made her mum feel safe when she couldn't be there.

It focusses on five things that matter most to the person, to help put them at ease, as Sonia explains:

The idea is that patients or their carers fill out the document, and it can be displayed above the patient's bed to help guide medical professionals in their interactions.

Next month, Sonia will be attending the 37th Global Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International in Lyon, France.

Taking place biannually over several days (14-16 April), it is the longest running international conference on dementia, attracting over 1,000 delegates from all corners of the world.

Representing both Manx Care and the Isle of Man, Sonia will be presenting the 'About Me' form to delegates after it was successfully selected as an abstract.

She says she hopes she can highlight to professionals around the world that by making simple adjustments, we can help improve the quality of life of those living with the diseases:

Following on from the success of the form, Sonia also hopes the Island will subscribe to the principles of 'John's Campaign'.

Founded in the UK in November 2014, the campaign is to allow caregivers of people with dementia the right to remain with them in hospitals and care homes, rather than adhering to rigid visiting hours.

It was founded in memory of Dr. John Gerrard, whose dementia worsened significantly due to isolation during a hospital stay.

For now, on the Isle of Man, it's hoped the About Me form can help put families at ease.

You can download a copy of the form to print out and fill out for your hospital bag, or that of a loved one, here > About Me form.

And you can hear much more from Sonia in our latest Newscast, available now: