Barbara Hodkinson, the Butterfly Scheme’s founder (centre of the back row in the photo), is acting as an ambassador for the fundraising appeal at Airedale Hospital, Keighley, where they plan to create a dementia-friendly “Butterfly Room” in A & E. Emergency departments can be especially challenging for people who may not be able to remember what’s led them to be there and who are confined to a small cubicle which is full of unrecognisable equipment, surrounded by noise and strangers.

By providing a more supportive environment, the hospital team will be able to make the whole experience more dementia-friendly, supporting not only patients but also their carers. Airedale Hospital was the second hospital to adopt the scheme and here again we see its innovative approach to dementia care. For more information about how you can support Airedale Hospital’s appeal visit www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk/charity