19 September 2024

The x-ray room was funded by the Charity to be redecorated to make it more dementia friendly. This included painting the walls green, rather than keeping the white clinical walls. Green walls stand out and makes it easier for patients to see where the doctors have gone, if they’ve moved around the room or gone behind the desk to x-ray the patient. It also means that the door, which is white, stands out to the patients, giving them a sense of security.

The skirting boards in the room have also been painted grey. They were originally black, but this was often perceived as big holes by the patients, often causing them to panic. Painting them grey meant that the “holes” were no longer there, and the patients did not panic.

Staff who have used the room have said that it is calming and non-clinical. The walls also have life-like flower/tree designs on them. The use of the trees and sky on the “skylight” on the ceiling focuses the mind of the patients and often leads to the patients talking about flowers and their gardens, leading to the patient feeling more at ease.

The use of the skylight also makes it easier to get patients into their positions, which have to be precise. Having the patients get into the precise positions first time round means that they will not have to have extra doses of radiation and also helps their emotion wellbeing, as they don’t have to be in a stressful situation for longer than needs be.