Staff from the the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise are organising a multi-denominational service of remembrance to mark International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
The event will take place on Tuesday, October 15 at 6pm at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Portlaoise.
The event is open to all families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and will also be available to view online by going to www.portlaoiseparish.ie.
International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day takes place each year on October 15 and ends with a global wave of light at 7pm, which will be marked by Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise lighting up.
Louise Cooke, Clinical Nurse Specialist Bereavement and Loss, Maternity Services at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise said:
“We warmly welcome all parents, families and friends who have been affected by pregnancy or infant loss to attend this service, in remembrance of all babies who have died, and all pregnancy losses, however recent, however long ago.
“The service will include reflections, gifts of connection, poetry, readings and a choir will join us.”
The lighting ceremony honours babies who have died through miscarriage, stillbirth or in the neonatal period, “to let the families know that they are not alone.”
Portlaoise Hospital has also launched two new designated areas in the hospital that “will enhance and enable quality of care for people living with Dementia in the acute hospital setting.”
A new five-bed Dementia Friendly Bay in the Emo Court Ward was opened to enhance supports for inpatients living with dementia, as well as a new Dementia Friendly area in the Emergency Department.
The new areas include:
- Technological support, such as TV streaming system with amplifiers;
- Radio/music player and headphones help to optimize sensory stimulation and reduce sensory overload and minimise non-cognitive symptoms;
- Meaningful activities boxes, that can be tailored to each individual promote independence, engagement and participation;
- Using different colour schemes/contrasting colours to promote wayfinding, minimize confusion and make the environment more person-centred for people with dementia and their families;
- Orientation clocks introduced to support awareness of time, month, date and day;
- Blue-coloured handrails fixed in the Dementia Bay toilet to promote better navigation, safety and independence.
“In the design of our new Dementia Friendly areas in the hospital, our focus was on creating an environment that can reduce environmental stress, provide support, and provide more healthful and therapeutic spaces,” said John Joyce, General Manager of Midland Regional Hospital.
“We considered how we care for the persons living with dementia and aimed to enhance our facility at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise in a more dementia inclusive and age friendly way.”
Olivia Lafferty, Director of Nursing for Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise said: “Providing person-centred care in a supportive physical and social environment can enhance the experience and well-being of patients with dementia during their acute hospital journey.
“Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is committed to providing ongoing evidence-based high-quality person-centred care for patients living with dementia during their acute hospital stay.”
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