Eliot Ward Improvement Project – Thank You!

Update

Love Musgrove was thrilled to recently announce that we have completed our latest fundraising Appeal to raise £120,000 to transform Eliot Ward to make it the perfect environment for patients with dementia.

Thanks to the generosity of people in Taunton and across Somerset, as well as businesses, local groups and schools, the Trust will now be able to upgrade the facilities of Eliot Ward to bring them in line with the excellent care delivered by our NHS colleagues who work so hard as part of the ward team.

The refurbishment will be focusing on improvements across 6 key areas of dementia-friendly design and the money raised will be spent on:

1. Use of colour for wayfinding and navigation painting the ward with dementia-friendly colours to identify each bed space and differentiate between different bays and side rooms

2. Lighting dementia-friendly lighting that will mimic the normal frequency of daylight from morning to evening

3. Flooring dementia-friendly flooring that is a matt, not shiny floor which will also guide where patients can safely be

4. Artwork working with Art for Life at Musgrove, use of iconic images of the local area in large murals around the ward to help orientate patients to Somerset

5. Social Spaces creating a quiet room with a wider entrance and large armchairs and sofas will provide a homely feel for patients to sit away from their bedside

6. Declutter/Storage new storage for handling medicines will not only give the ward a less clinical feel but will also declutter the corridor, making a safe place for patients to walk using the hand rails

1 in 6 people over the age of 80 will develop dementia and Love Musgrove wanted to make sure the hospital space was ready to meet a growing demand. Whilst most of the fundraising took place during the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Charity was able to host a Valentine’s Fundraising Ball back in February 2020 raising a over £5,000 thanks to guests, a brilliant selection of auction prizes and the support of hosts Somerset County Cricket Club.