31st October 2023
As part of the programme of events marking Older People’s Month, staff in Meadowlands at Musgrave Park Hospital put on a reminiscence therapy bridal show for patients and families.
Reminiscence therapy involves discussing events and experiences from the past and aims to evoke memories, stimulate mental activity and improve a person’s well-being.
The show had dresses dating back to the 1970’s, with staff speaking about each dress, giving the patients details on who the dress belonged to, the date the wedding took place and who was wearing the dress that day. There were also 1950’s/1960’s style dresses on display which the patients really related to and described the dresses they wore during this period.
A number of staff from Meadowlands participated in the show; Dementia Companions Melissa and Caitlin were models for the day alongside Senior Healthcare Assistant Adele. Ward Sister Tammy and Support Services staff member Caoimhlin presented the show for patients and family members. Staff who kindly donated their dresses for the show were also present, offering their time to talk to the patients and families about their wedding day.
The show included dresses from international staff members with one staff member wearing her wedding saree. The patients really engaged with this and the staff were able to talk about the colours of their outfit and the amount of work that went into pleating and folding the material.
Family and patients from all three wards at Meadowlands were part of the audience. Patients who were unable to leave the ward were also able to join in, with staff participating in the show going on to visit the wards so they could enjoy the show too.
Ward Sister, Tammy Taggart-McKeown said, “We have had a great time celebrating Older People’s Month in Meadowlands with a series of events helping to keep our patients active and mentally stimulated.
It was fantastic to see the patients enjoying the bridal show and using it as an opportunity for them to reminisce about memories that were special to them. This form of reminiscence therapy has a positive impact on our patient’s wellbeing and the event was also great fun for their families and our staff.”
