From time to time, I’m contacted by a former carer who wants to make a donation to the Butterfly Scheme in memory of someone who’s used the Scheme in one of the member hospitals; sometimes, the Butterfly Scheme is the nominated donation recipient at funerals. This always gladdens my heart, because it tells me that the dementia care given has really had a positive impact. I always aim to direct that money straight into the hospital that’s delivered the care, for the team to use to improve their dementia care, usually by purchasing further dementia-friendly products or something that helps them deliver their care.
Why do I choose to take this route? Well, whilst I created the Scheme and provide the initial education, the system and the ongoing support, the end result is down to the dedication of those hospital teams and it’s always good to let them know when they’ve made a real difference. When they launch the Butterfly Scheme at their hospital , it’s that team that takes it forward and runs it, not me.
Usually, the donation method works very smoothly, but occasionally we can’t attach the donor to the cause in time – and I know there’s currently no direct route via the website to offer such donations, which can be frustrating. We’re hoping to revamp the website soon and it’s something we’ll look into, but in the meantime, the way to make such donations is either to email me via the link provided, or ring the relevant hospital and ask to speak to the Dementia Lead; be sure to let them know it’s their delivery of the Butterfly Scheme that has prompted the donation, because that’s such an accolade to the whole staff team and they’ll appreciate knowing that.
As so often, I applaud the teams delivering the sort of dementia care that not only supports the patients, but also the carers who matter so much to them.