Clive Gibson, CNS for Older People, said “It is clear that a great deal of time, thought and effort has gone into preparing these toiletry bags. I have no doubt that they will significantly improve the experience for people with dementia and also provide greater dignity and comfort. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank the members of the Friends for generously funding these bags, we are delighted with them!”

Pictured above: Clive Gibson offers a personal thanks to the Friends for their donation

Karen Blackmore, Speech & Language Therapist, explained the benefits of the new chair, saying: “Good nutrition is essential to aid in the recovery of patients as well as to maintain independence and dignity, so it is important that patients with difficulty swallowing are treated quickly and appropriately. The new videofluoroscopy chair is portable and adjustable, which makes it easy for the staff to transport patients and accurately position them before the x-ray. As I’m sure the Friends will agree, it’s also extremely comfortable which is far better for our patients as the test can take up to half an hour. We’d all like to thank the Friends for making it possible for us to purchase this chair, and greatly improve the service we can offer our patients.”

Pictured above: Volunteers from the Friends at Broomfield are shown the new chair by the Speech and Language team while Yvonne Carter, Charities Support Officer, tests it for comfort