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Equipment made by young offenders helps older patients
Written by Communications Team   

A young person from the Surrey Youth Support Service Reparation Scheme visited Ashford Hospital recently to present activity and therapy equipment that young offenders had designed and made to help older people at both Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals.

The equipment was initially requested to provide activity for hospital patients with dementia or who may be confused and agitated, and therefore at risk of falling. When the prototype equipment arrived, the physiotherapists and occupational therapists saw they had potential for use with patients who have other conditions such as strokes.

 

(L to R): Ian McDougall, the young man’s carpentry supervisor, Lynn English, Stroke Club and Chaucer Ward Secretary, Debbie Palmer, Lead Nurse for Falls Prevention and Ellie Paterson from the Surrey Youth Support Service.


The Chaucer Ward Stroke Club at Ashford Hospital generously donated some funds to help pay for some of the materials used to make the equipment.

Debbie Palmer, Lead Nurse for Falls Prevention, requested the help of the young people through Ellie Paterson, Surrey Youth Support Service Community Reparation Officer.

Debbie said: “It is great to see the equipment that will make a real difference to patients on the adult wards. It is lovely to see young people helping older patients in this way and the equipment is bright, well designed and therapeutic. I hope this partnership will continue and will also make a difference to the young people involved. We are very grateful to them.”


Ellie Paterson agreed: “The projects that we are involved with at Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are giving the young people a great opportunity to learn new skills, while knowing they are doing something meaningful by helping other people.”


The reparation scheme gives young people who have committed an offence opportunities to make amends, either directly to their victims or to the wider community. Young people involved in the scheme have previously donated memory boxes and toys they have made to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and children’s wards at St Peter’s, and are now helping older people as well.