This month, as promised, I’m showcasing another wonderful example of hospital team creativity linked with the Butterfly Scheme, this time from Orla Matthews in Northern Ireland. She and Maria Loughran completed a song as part of their final presentation after an 18-month scholarship programme they had been involved in. Orla says:
“I wanted to capture our journey and achievements on the Patients First Programme with the Foundation of Nursing Studies, in a creative way … so I wrote and composed a song, (badly!) played my guitar and put a little video together. Please excuse the sound – performed in my bathroom and recorded on my phone!”
Orla’s song is called Reach out to Me, which is, of course, the name of the Butterfly Scheme’s carer information sheet, based on the scheme’s logo and care approach. When she sent me the song, I have to admit I began listening with trepidation, because it started on such a sad note. However, as the song progressed, the message was about how the staff team can make a world of difference – despite work and time pressures – and can really change the experience of a person with dementia in their hospital. As we know, hospital staff who understand how to support people with dementia find their job so much more rewarding and ultimately everyone – patient, carer, staff team – benefits from the delivery of appropriate dementia care.
Orla need not have been self-critical about her performance; she’s created something well worth listening to and watching. Here it is: https://youtu.be/jdJjTxpewPQ
I hope you see the song as I do – a message of encouragement and inspiration to all.