Nurse supports brain injury patients with a sprinkle of magic
A ward sister at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has been helping patients with brain injuries on the road to recovery, with support from QEHB Charity’s Sprinkle Some Magic grant scheme.
After hearing about QEHB Charity’s Sprinkle Some Magic grant scheme, which aims to support patients by funding ‘added extras’ above and beyond what the NHS can provide, Claire Lynch, Ward Sister at the QE, applied for a £500 grant to purchase a variety of games for her patients, as well as a tablet and DVD player.
She said: “We decided to purchase games to help aid patients’ recovery from brain injury, after noticing the common challenges they face. It is important that, from an early stage, we help support patients in regaining full cognitive function. By encouraging patients to follow rules, patterns and make decisions from information they receive, we can help improve their memory, speech and fine motor skills, which can often suffer following brain injury.
“Thanks to QEHB Charity we were able to buy a range of games for all ages, including Snakes and Ladders, which helps patients develop turn taking and following rules, as well as word matching games which can help patients’ speech and object recognition.
“We’ve already seen a huge difference in our patients who have been able to use the games. Patients’ attention span, ability to perform tasks and short term memory have all been improved, helping start the rehabilitation process whilst they are still in an acute hospital setting.”
“We also find that patients with brain injuries can become agitated and confused. The tablet and DVD players help eliminate boredom, which reduces frustration and helps to keep patients engaged.”
Tina Hales, Grants Officer at QEHB Charity, said: “Our ‘Sprinkle Some Magic’ scheme has made a huge difference across the hospital over the past few years, and we were more than happy to give a grant of £500 to ward 407 to help brain injury patients recover from their injuries. It is always great to see just how much the staff at the QE care about improving the health and wellbeing of patients.”
To apply for a grant, please contact Tina Hales at Tina.Hales@uhb.nhs.uk or on 0121 371 4852.
