A patient on Adferiad Ward at New Hall has enjoyed a few successful trips to the beach recently. Staff have effectively used their now and next board to communicate with him!
The now and next board accompanied the patient on their trips to the beach and they referred to the board throughout the journey. The board helped them understand where they were going and what they would do when they got there. This helped reduce anxiety and helped them understand that they were on the way to the beach.
The wait card was used at the beach which allowed the patient to understand that they needed to wait and that the ice cream was being prepared, this helped them relax and wait with a smile on their face.
Visuals make language more tangible and they last longer than the spoken word. Many of the individuals we support are visual learners as spoken language, comprehension and processing are often difficult for them but visuals can be used to support what is being said and take off some of the language ‘load’.
The Speech and Language Therapy team have started a new initiative for families and patients on Adferiad Ward. This includes taking a photo and/or a video a week with a few lines about the patients engagement and achievement. This serves two purposes:
- This allows families to be part of the developmental progress of the patients and as they cannot visit currently due to COVID-19. This is currently being facilitated by the SALTAs and the feedback from the families involved have been very rewarding and positive
- We also use the photos to engage in interactive communication with the patients to enhance their topics of conversation, their vocabulary and recall of personal events and activities.
Do you have a story like this from your service? Let the Marketing Team know and we can include it in the next newsletter! Email us at Marketing@mhc-uk.com.