Students create mural to help patients with dementia

In a groundbreaking move to alleviate distress among patients with dementia, our Art and Design students have created a mural for Cragside, an inpatient dementia assessment and treatment unit at Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital.

The idea of the mural came from staff at Cragside who realised the walls were too clinical and plain, resulting in them setting a brief for our students to design a mural that reminded dementia patients of home. The impact has been remarkable, with the mural serving as a focal point for patients, encouraging discussions, and fostering a serene and relaxed environment.

The mural depicts landmarks, celebrities and phrases from across the region and is not only visually captivating but is as a source of amusement and entertainment for patients.

This, in turn, effectively reduces stress levels and minimises anti-social behaviours among patients. The positive impact of the mural is also being felt by staff as it saves valuable time and resources that would otherwise be spent on calming down patients. Additionally, the mural has become a prominent landmark within Cragside, providing direction and aiding those patients who may feel disoriented.

Trudie Davies, Gateshead Health’s Chief Executive said “I would like to thank Gateshead College and their students who generously gave up their own time to create this amazing mural in support of our patients with dementia at Cragside.

Thank you to the team at Cragside and our charity for funding the project and everyone else who was involved in bringing this artwork to life. This will enhance the patient experience and be a talking point amongst patients for many years to come.”

Sharon Fenwick, Curriculum Leader at Gateshead College said: “Thanks to the staff at Cragside for providing our students with this unique opportunity to put their artistic skills into creating the mural. They loved working on the brief, using their creativity to create something that not only has a visual impact but also helps the patients at Cragside.”

The artwork was funded by QE Charitable funds in support of improving the environment for our older patients who suffer with mental health difficulties.

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