New Research Project: Veterans & Hospital Dementia Care

We are proud to announce that Veterans Dementia Support UK has secured funding for a vital new research project.

Our study explores the unique, often overlooked needs of Armed Forces, Merchant Navy, and Emergency Services veterans living with dementia when they are admitted to an NHS hospital.

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Hospital stays can be highly stressful and disorienting. By understanding the specific challenges veterans face, our goal is to help hospitals deliver more compassionate, culturally competent care that respects their identity and history.

What the Research Will Explore

Our project maps the entire journey of a hospital stay to identify where care can be enhanced:

• The Admission Journey: Examining the initial experience moving through Accident & Emergency (A&E) and the transition onto a hospital ward.

• Reducing Disorientation: Looking at how hospitals can avoid unnecessary ward moves, which are highly unsettling for someone living with dementia.

• Collaborative Care Plans: Finding better ways for families to contribute to hospital care plans, ensuring daily home routines and personal preferences are respected.

• Meaningful Engagement: Identifying ways to keep patients occupied, focused, and less confused during their stay.

• Safe Discharge: Managing the transition back home or into community care effectively to minimize stress.

Understanding Service-Related Needs & Behaviours

A core focus of this research is identifying how best to support service-related behaviours. Changes in environment can trigger flashbacks, hallucinations, distress, or specific military-ingrained responses. We want to evaluate how these situations are currently handled and find practical, safer, and more supportive ways for medical staff to manage them.

Building on Good Practice

This study takes a positive, collaborative approach. We are not looking to criticize; we want to highlight the excellent care already being provided while making realistic recommendations for the future. This includes analyzing the impact of Dementia Volunteers and meaningful activities that help veterans stay involved, safe, and calm.

📣 Share Your Views & Lived Experiences

To make sure our recommendations are rooted in real-world evidence, we need to hear from you. We are actively seeking feedback, stories, and suggestions from:

• Families, friends, and carers of veterans who have experienced a hospital stay.

• NHS hospital staff who provide frontline care and understand the daily challenges.

• Community nurses and local care providers who support veterans through these transitions.

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How to get involved:

Please email your views, experiences, or suggestions directly to our research team at:

📧 Info@veteransdementiasupport.co.uk

Please share this request with your personal and professional networks to help us reach as many voices as possible.