A DUDLEY Borough project to help dementia sufferers is in line for a national award.
The RITA project (Reminiscent Interactive Therapy Assistant) gives people access to an electronic tablet and a system which uses sound and vision to stimulate people’s thoughts and ideas.
The £75,000 scheme has been shortlisted for the IESE Public Sector Transformation Awards to be announced in September.
Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “Through the tablets people are able to listen and watch all of their old favourites to evoke happy memories, which has a huge impact on the wellbeing and behaviour of people suffering with dementia.
“Early evaluations suggest it has helped with reductions in falls and hospital admissions along with a number of other positive impacts.”
The tablets and system are being used in residential and nursing homes across the borough and at the borough’s two dementia gateways – Queens Cross in Dudley and Brett Young in Halesowen.
The project made it to the last three from hundreds of submissions across the country, and comes hot on the heels of last year when it was nominated for Best Service Delivery Model and Digital Impact at the LGC Awards.
Cllr Barlow added: “I’d like to thank everyone in the team who has worked so hard to make it a reality.
“I could not be more proud of the adult social care team at the moment. Their hard work is being recognised through regular shortlistings for major national awards.”
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