Specialist team at State Hospital shortlisted for Nursing Times Award

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A specialist team at the State Hospital, Carstairs has been shortlisted in the Nursing Times Awards for their head, heart and hand approach to dementia work.The team, alongside colleagues from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), is nominated for the Nursing in Mental Health Award for enhancing care for people who are ageing with mental disorders and dementia in a high secure setting.

Nominated for developing an innovative programme of training during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the training enabled 26 staff to support patients with dementia in the State Hospital, based in rural South Lanarkshire.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Laura McCafferty, Senior Nurse at the State Hospital, said: “We had a small number of patients who were living with the condition and we had a staff group who were really motivated to improve their care as much as possible, but who needed specific training.“I contacted colleagues at the University of the West of Scotland and explained that we were caring for patients with dementia, but staff did not have dementia specific training.“Senior Lecturer Margaret Brown agreed to develop a training package for us that was responsive to both the needs of the patients and the staff.“The training was designed specifically for nursing staff to provide them with the