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TRANMERE ROVERS AND WESTMINSTER ASSOCIATES FUND IPADS TO HELP CLATTERBRIDGE PATIENTS STAY IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES
It all started right before Christmas when Paul Thompson of Westminster Associate ' s dad was admitted to Clatterbridge for what was to become a prolonged stay .
" It was quite hard for my folks to be apart ," Paul said . " They ’ ve known one another for 55 years and been married for 52 , and this was the first Christmas they ' ve ever been apart . We weren ' t allowed to visit in person due to COVID , but we were able to FaceTime with dad and it completely lifted his and mum ’ s spirits . But getting that sorted was quite a challenge , as they only had one iPad on the entire ward which had to be booked in advance and shared across all the patients . The care dad received was second to none – our NHS and its teams are superstars – but I hated that the already overburdened staff had to coordinate iPad bookings in an already hectic day ."
" I ’ m in the fortunate position of being able to buy an iPad for dad , but the situation got me thinking that this isn ’ t just about him . The medical staff need to see the interactions of families with their patients to assess their progress . Plus , anyone with relatives in a similar position deserves and needs the connection with their families . It was clear that something needed to change , so I decided to raise funds to buy 10 iPads , one for each of the 10 rooms on Meadowbank Ward , which specialises in dementia and mental health cases ."
Paul ' s fund-raising efforts raised one-third of the cost through generous donations from individuals , when Tranmere Rovers joined the effort and was delighted to fund the balance of funds needed .
Nicola Palios of Tranmere Rovers said : “ We know from our work with our own dementia groups how difficult and isolating dementia can be even during normal times . We couldn ’ t think of a better use for some of the money we have raised during lockdown ."
Human interaction and contact for patients with the kind of mental health and neurological conditions the ward caters to is key to their recovery and emotional well-being . It helps the medical team assess how patients interact with loved ones , which is a key factor in assessing how their condition is progressing .
Thanks to Tranmere Rovers ' generosity , the fundraising goal was reached , and the patients and staff at Clatterbridge ' s Meadowlark ward now have 10 iPads at their disposal . And , Paul ’ s dad is now home and doing great !
The staff at the ward recently got in touch to say thank you , and that the iPads are being put to good use .
In addition to using them for FaceTime , they ' re using them for different one-on-one interactions with patients , including listening to music , watching online church services , and looking at and reminiscing over photos and videos , as well as exploring other ways they can use them to benefit patients .
10 wirrallife . com