St Gemma’s Hospice is delighted to have received a grant of £7,494 from The Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust towards the purchase of Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) software.
This enjoyable and sociable technology has been proven to have direct benefits to patients living with dementia in a Hospice environment by helping to improve cognitive function, communication abilities and overall physical and mental wellbeing for patients at the end of their lives, during what can be a distressing and confusing time.
The innovative digital therapy includes interactive discussion of local landmarks, past events, games and quizzes to help encourage patients to enjoy the time they have left and be able to better interact and communicate with those around them. The easy to use software has a wide range of modules ranging from immersive and music therapy to sooth agitated patients, interactive therapy to stimulate cognitive function and ‘my life’ software to record life stories and enjoy local nostalgia, reassuringly bringing the past to life.
The software has a strong track record and is used in 368 hospitals across the UK as well as care homes and other hospices, having been positively endorsed by the Care Quality Commission. Positive feedback from other users has included a decrease in the need for some anti-psychotic medications and a reduction in the number of patient falls.
St Gemma’s is pleased to report that since receipt of this generous donation a further grant has been received to purchase a second RITA. This will allow us to have one for use on the In-Patient Unit and for training in the Academic Unit and one for use by the Day Hospice and Community Team. We have already recruited a team of volunteers who will be trained by our Dementia Lead to use to equipment and tailor it to individual need.
St Gemma’s Hospice has been providing the best possible care and support to the people of Leeds and beyond, free of charge for 40 years. We touch the lives of over 3,000 local people each year, caring for patients with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses, whilst also supporting their family and friends. We estimate that around 200 patients will benefit from this new and innovative support over the coming year.